Carolyne Odour has told the BBC she desperately fears for the 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 Kwa Binzaro, near the remote Shakahola Forest, where more than 400 bodies were discovered in 2023, marking one of the worst cases of cult-related mass deaths.
Now, she is waiting for DNA test results on over 30 recently unearthed bodies.
I felt pain. I barely recognized him. His body was badly decomposing, Ms. Odour recounted about her husband, Samuel Owino Owoyo. She believes her sons, 12-year-old Daniel, and nine-year-old Elijah, had traveled with their father to Kwa Binzaro at the end of June.
Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie is currently on trial for the so-called Shakahola Forest Massacre and has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. He allegedly preached to his followers that serenity awaits those who abstain from food, leading to horrific practices involving starvation.
Ms. Odour describes how the change in her husband's beliefs over the past few years led to conflict within their family, particularly regarding their children's education and health. On June 28, when her husband left with their two youngest sons, he told her they were going to his home village, a statement that later turned out to be a lie.
After an urgent search, she learned that her husband's body had been found, prompting a painful confirmation that sends chills through her as she awaits news of her children. As a community grapples with the aftermath, the Kenyan government is considering tighter regulations to tackle extremist beliefs, with hopes to prevent future tragedies from occurring.
I was looking forward to one of my sons going to grade 7 and the other grade 4. Every time I see a child wearing a uniform, I feel pain because of their absence, she lamented.
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 Kwa Binzaro, near the remote Shakahola Forest, where more than 400 bodies were discovered in 2023, marking one of the worst cases of cult-related mass deaths.
Now, she is waiting for DNA test results on over 30 recently unearthed bodies.
I felt pain. I barely recognized him. His body was badly decomposing, Ms. Odour recounted about her husband, Samuel Owino Owoyo. She believes her sons, 12-year-old Daniel, and nine-year-old Elijah, had traveled with their father to Kwa Binzaro at the end of June.
Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie is currently on trial for the so-called Shakahola Forest Massacre and has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. He allegedly preached to his followers that serenity awaits those who abstain from food, leading to horrific practices involving starvation.
Ms. Odour describes how the change in her husband's beliefs over the past few years led to conflict within their family, particularly regarding their children's education and health. On June 28, when her husband left with their two youngest sons, he told her they were going to his home village, a statement that later turned out to be a lie.
After an urgent search, she learned that her husband's body had been found, prompting a painful confirmation that sends chills through her as she awaits news of her children. As a community grapples with the aftermath, the Kenyan government is considering tighter regulations to tackle extremist beliefs, with hopes to prevent future tragedies from occurring.
I was looking forward to one of my sons going to grade 7 and the other grade 4. Every time I see a child wearing a uniform, I feel pain because of their absence, she lamented.
