The Ministry of Interior now says it has commenced investigations into another case of religious radicalisation in the Binzaro area of Kilifi County.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday morning, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen revealed that the discovery was made following a tip-off from members of the public.
He noted that upon receiving the information, security and intelligence teams conducted a swift operation targeting a secluded five-acre homestead linked to suspicious religious activity.
During the operation, four individuals were rescued from the compound: a 50-year-old man who had been reported missing at Siaya Police Station on April 15, his 40-year-old wife, and two females aged 40 and 19.
"Preliminary assessments indicate that the individuals may have been held under the influence of radical teachings," the CS announced.
In the tragic unfolding, security officers recovered two human skulls and the freshly deceased body of an unidentified adult male. According to the CS, the discovery was made in a nearby thicket.
Following the discovery, the remains were transferred to the Malindi Sub-County Hospital Mortuary for preservation, identification, and forensic examination.
"The accused is currently in custody, along with three individuals identified as the operational managers of the homestead," Murkomen revealed.
"Three other people have been detained in connection with the sale of the property to the accused, amid unresolved questions surrounding the legality and transparency of the ownership and transaction processes," he added.
According to the CS, investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances relating to the acquisition, management, and use of the parcel of land.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers in Malindi have been granted continued protective custody of the rescued individuals and have applied for warrants to conduct a more comprehensive forensic search of the site.
Further, the premises of the main accused have since been secured and documented by the crime scene investigation team.
In a statement, CS Murkomen commended the residents for their vigilance and timely action in reporting suspicious activity, an intervention that he said might have averted a greater loss of life.
"The government remains resolute in confronting radical religious indoctrination and extremist ideologies that exploit vulnerable individuals and communities under the guise of faith," the CS noted.
