All the police commanders in Kilifi County have been redeployed to allow a thorough probe into a cult led by Paul Mackenzie, even as detectives continue exhuming the bodies of people believed to have starved to death.
By Thursday, the body count of people Mr Mackenzie is said to have convinced to die by starvation, in order to meet Jesus Christ, stood at 109.
The bodies are being dug out of mass graves at Shakahola village in Kilifi, on a vast piece of land – measuring 800 acres – that belongs to the cult leader.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki announced the redeployment of the commanders on Friday, as he toured the area for the second time this week.
CS Kindiki said the commanders were from all levels – division, sub-county and county – and all services – the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the National Police Service (NPS) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
He also said exhumations were suspended on Friday due to heavy rains and that the government had up-scaled rescue and recovery efforts by way of air surveiilance.
The exhumations will resume once the weather improves.
