Carolyne Odour has told the BBC she desperately fears for fate of her two young sons who went missing two months ago with their father - a follower of the teachings of a notorious starvation cult leader. Ms Odour says that amid an ongoing investigation into more deaths linked to the cult she has identified her husband's body at a mortuary in the coastal town of Malindi.
His corpse was found in July in the village of Kwa Binzaro, inland from Malindi, near the remote Shakahola Forest, where over 400 bodies were uncovered in 2023 in one of the worst cult-related mass death cases.
Ms Odour is now awaiting the results of DNA tests being carried out on more than 30 recently unearthed bodies. I felt pain. I barely recognised him. His body was badly decomposing, Ms Odour, 40, said about her husband Samuel Owino Owoyo.
She believes her sons, 12-year-old Daniel and nine-year-old Elijah, traveled with their 45-year-old father to Kwa Binzaro at the end of June. Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie is currently on trial over the so-called Shakahola Forest Massacre - and has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. He is alleged to have told his followers they would get to heaven more quickly if they stopped eating, raising concerns that he has been communicating with followers from jail.
Ms Odour recalls that her husband's interest in Mr. Mackenzie's teachings began four or five years ago, leading to a significant change in their family life. He changed and he didn't want the kids to go to school, she explained, expressing her disbelief in abandoning medical help for their children.
On June 28, her husband left with their children under the pretense of returning to his home village. After no contact for days, Ms Odour learned he had traveled with the boys to Kwa Binzaro, a devastating discovery for her. Shortly after, police confirmed his death, linking it to the wider cult investigation involving reports of mass fatalities.
For residents near Kwa Binzaro, the investigation has been both a source of horror and disruption. We depend on the forest for firewood and charcoal, said a local resident, indicating the challenges faced by the community as authorities conduct search operations.
Amidst growing fears in the community and a mother’s agonizing wait, the government is considering tougher laws to regulate religious groups in the hopes of preventing similar tragedies in the future. As for Carolyne, the pain of uncertainty about her sons lingers on. 'I was looking forward to one of my sons going to grade 7 and the other grade 4,' she said, lamenting their absence every time she sees children in school uniforms.
His corpse was found in July in the village of Kwa Binzaro, inland from Malindi, near the remote Shakahola Forest, where over 400 bodies were uncovered in 2023 in one of the worst cult-related mass death cases.
Ms Odour is now awaiting the results of DNA tests being carried out on more than 30 recently unearthed bodies. I felt pain. I barely recognised him. His body was badly decomposing, Ms Odour, 40, said about her husband Samuel Owino Owoyo.
She believes her sons, 12-year-old Daniel and nine-year-old Elijah, traveled with their 45-year-old father to Kwa Binzaro at the end of June. Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie is currently on trial over the so-called Shakahola Forest Massacre - and has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. He is alleged to have told his followers they would get to heaven more quickly if they stopped eating, raising concerns that he has been communicating with followers from jail.
Ms Odour recalls that her husband's interest in Mr. Mackenzie's teachings began four or five years ago, leading to a significant change in their family life. He changed and he didn't want the kids to go to school, she explained, expressing her disbelief in abandoning medical help for their children.
On June 28, her husband left with their children under the pretense of returning to his home village. After no contact for days, Ms Odour learned he had traveled with the boys to Kwa Binzaro, a devastating discovery for her. Shortly after, police confirmed his death, linking it to the wider cult investigation involving reports of mass fatalities.
For residents near Kwa Binzaro, the investigation has been both a source of horror and disruption. We depend on the forest for firewood and charcoal, said a local resident, indicating the challenges faced by the community as authorities conduct search operations.
Amidst growing fears in the community and a mother’s agonizing wait, the government is considering tougher laws to regulate religious groups in the hopes of preventing similar tragedies in the future. As for Carolyne, the pain of uncertainty about her sons lingers on. 'I was looking forward to one of my sons going to grade 7 and the other grade 4,' she said, lamenting their absence every time she sees children in school uniforms.
