In a chilling echo of the Shakahola massacre that shocked the nation two years ago, authorities have uncovered disturbing activities at a church compound in Rongo, Migori County, where two mysterious deaths have triggered a police investigation and the rescue of 57 people, including children.
The Malkio St Joseph Mission of Messiah in Africa Church, whose signboard welcomes visitors to “new Jerusalem,” has become the center of an unfolding horror story that bears haunting similarities to the Shakahola cult tragedy that claimed over 400 lives.
Mysterious Deaths Raise Alarm
On Monday night, security officials raided the church compound after receiving reports of suspicious deaths.
They discovered the body of Francis Muli lying on the floor of a prayer room, fully covered in a white robe and wrapped in a grey sheet.
According to police reports, the man had visible injuries on his face and foam in his mouth. Earlier that day, another church member, Elly Odoyo, had also died at the same location.
Rongo Deputy County Commissioner George Matundura confirmed that his office was alerted that the church accommodates ailing individuals.
“We will plan a way forward and take the necessary action. We have deployed a group of officers to the church to secure it,” Matundura stated.
Illegal Burials and Disturbing Practices
Among the concerning findings are reports of illegal burials within the church compound. Just two weeks ago, a General Service Unit (GSU) officer identified as Dan Obura died and was hurriedly buried within the church grounds without proper family notification, sparking confrontation between church members and the officer’s relatives who wanted his body exhumed and transported to their ancestral home in Nyando, Kisumu County.
Jecinter Achieng’, daughter of the recently deceased Odoyo and a church member herself, claimed her father was injured during this confrontation on April 11 when he was reportedly hit with a rock.
Despite sustaining head injuries, witnesses say Odoyo refused medical treatment, claiming “faith could not allow him.”
“He wanted his body to be buried within the church compound. He was working for the church and wanted his body to remain there,” said Achieng’, noting that her father had instructed her not to allow anyone to remove his body from the compound after death.
Fortified Compound Housing Over 100 People
Investigations have revealed that more than 100 people live within the fortified church compound, with each assigned specific roles.
When police conducted the rescue operation, they found 57 individuals, including children aged between five and 13 years, all dressed in robes.
When taken to Rongo Sub-County Hospital for medical attention, the group refused examination and began singing religious songs, disrupting other patients.
Health workers advised their removal from the facility.
Former Member Speaks Out
John Wachara, once a devoted member of the church until 2010, has come forward with disturbing allegations.
He claims his 19-year-old daughter died at the church after dropping out of school and relocating there in 2004.
Wachara believes her body was buried within the church compound.
Six years later, his wife deserted their matrimonial home and moved to the same church with two other daughters.
Despite his efforts to persuade them to return, they refused, and his wife eventually filed for divorce.
“I was in a lot of emotional pain when my ex-wife and daughters left me. I got into a new relationship and healed,” Wachara said.
He suspects his former wife was radicalized during Thursday sessions at the church while he was away working in Kisumu.
Children’s Welfare Concerns
Rongo Children Officer Mercy Kemuto expressed concern about the welfare of the children rescued from the compound, recommending they undergo psychological counseling and be separated to prevent continued influence from church teachings.
“They can continue sharing the teachings they got if they stay together. They should be separated or else they will be like their parents,” she warned, adding that children raised in such environments may lose their identity as some were brought up believing the church is their home.
Shakahola Parallels
The unfolding situation bears striking similarities to the Shakahola massacre, where cult leader Paul Mackenzie of Good News International Ministries allegedly brainwashed followers to starve themselves to death.
Mackenzie, along with 31 others, now faces 191 counts of murder after hundreds of bodies were discovered in mass graves.
While the circumstances differ—with starvation being the primary cause of death in Shakahola—the pattern of religious extremism, isolation from society, suspicious deaths, and improper burials raises alarming parallels between the two cases.
Government Response
Authorities have secured the church compound and are investigating the cause of the recent deaths.
The postmortem results for the deceased church members will be crucial in determining the next steps in the investigation.
As the nation watches with growing concern, the question remains whether lessons from Shakahola have truly been learned, or if the tragedy is merely repeating itself in a different location, claiming new victims under the guise of religious devotion.
