The Kenya National Commission of Human Rights (KNCHR) has launched a scathing indictment against security officers and National Administration Officers implicated in the Shakahola massacre, calling for swift accountability and justice for the victims.
In their report titled "Mashaka ya Shakahola," released on Friday, March 22, KNHCR accuses the officers of criminal negligence, alleging that their actions and inaction facilitated the tragic events of the massacre.
According to the KNCHR, government officials in Malindi had ample opportunities to intervene and prevent the loss of life, particularly after the arrest of Paul Mackenzie in 2017.
The report reveals that concerns regarding Mackenzie's radicalization activities were raised during a meeting of the Kilifi County Court User’s Committee in November 2019, yet no substantive action was taken.
The commission further highlights the plight of individuals who attempted to raise the alarm about the unfolding crisis in Shakahola.
A former follower of Mackenzie recounted her desperate efforts to draw attention to the situation on social media in November 2022. However, instead of investigating the claims, she faced intimidation and accusations of spreading baseless allegations.
"The Commission regrets that no known sanctions were taken against those officers who abdicated their duty to protect the hundreds of persons including children who are either missing, dead or deeply traumatized as a result of their acts of gross negligence," the report states.
In a shocking revelation, the report details how authorities summoned social media platform administrators and coerced them into removing posts addressing the massacre, raising serious concerns about freedom of expression and the suppression of vital information.
The KNCHR demands expedited action from the government, including the immediate exhumation of bodies in Shakahola and the facilitation of survivors in reclaiming lost documents due to indoctrination and radicalization.
Government records between April and October last year, indicate that 429 bodies have already been exhumed, with 67 adults and 25 children rescued.
KNCHR which is tasked with broadly mandated to promote and protect Human Rights has been monitoring the Shakahola tragedy since March 2023.
In its recommendations, the KNHCR wants Parliament to pass a law where churches will self-regulate citing that self-regulation should be similar to that of the one establishing the Media Council of Kenya and the Law Society of Kenya.
"Enact an effective self-regulatory legal regime of the religious sector similar to the Media Council of Kenya and the Law Society of Kenya. Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right, but like other rights, it is not absolute," reads part of the commission's three recommendations to Parliament.
It further asks Parliament to request the state to make public all the data and information it has that relates to the Shakahola tragedy.
