A grave digger at Shakahola forest has revealed that the bodies exhumed from a mass grave were hidden beneath a vegetable garden, in a bid to create a façade of a well-manicured yard.
Speaking anonymously, the digger disclosed that the bodies were marked differently from those buried in homesteads, and were carried straight to the grave.
On the other hand, bodies buried in homesteads were preserved, and appeared as though they had been treated in a morgue before burial.
The grave digger also highlighted the need for psychosocial support to help him and his team cope with the trauma caused by exhuming so many bodies. According to the Coast Regional Coordinator Rhoda Onyancha, over 110 bodies have been exhumed from the forest, with 60% of them belonging to children.
Four people were rescued, and one dead body was recovered on April 29th. Police are now using drones to locate survivors.
Meanwhile, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has called for the government to upscale the rescue mission, stating that if action had been taken earlier, the massacre could have been avoided. Kingi has led an Adhoc Committee to investigate the mass killing and urged the government to deploy choppers to assist in the operation.
The grave digger earns Ksh 1,000 daily to exhume the bodies, although the exercise has been halted due to the harsh weather conditions.
The mass killing has been linked to a cult led by Paul Mackenzie, who was arrested on April 27th in connection with the massacre.
The cult was reportedly based in a nearby village, and had been operating for several years. The discovery of the mass grave has shocked the nation, with many calling for justice for the victims and their families
