Families whose relatives are believed to have been among victims of the Shakahola and Kwa Bi Nzaro tragedies have been put on a 21-day countdown to come forward and claim their loved ones' remains.
Kilifi County has asked relatives, next of kin and anyone with information that could help establish the identities of the remains to visit Malindi Sub-County Hospital Mortuary, where 443 bodies and 45 body parts recovered during multiagency operations are being held.
The county government issued the notice on September 17 through Health executive Peter Mwarogo, giving families 21 days from the date of the notice to complete the identification and collection process.
The notice warns that any remains that are still unclaimed after the deadline will be disposed of in accordance with the law and applicable regulations.
The county based the directive on several legal provisions governing its responsibilities and the handling of bodies in public mortuaries.
They include Article 183 of the Constitution, Section 36(1)(a) and (c) of the County Governments Act, the Public Health Act and the Public Health (Public Mortuaries) Rules.
Article 183 assigns county executive committees responsibility for administering county functions and putting relevant legislation into effect.
Under Section 36(1)(a) and (c) of the County Governments Act, county executive committees are responsible for overseeing the administration and delivery of county services and carrying out functions linked to their assigned duties.
The Public Health Act and the Public Health (Public Mortuaries) Rules set out the legal framework for managing remains kept in public mortuaries, including the steps to be taken when bodies are not claimed.
The notice comes more than three years after mass graves were discovered in Shakahola Forest, where followers of preacher Paul Mackenzie were found dead following alleged teachings centred on prolonged fasting and the afterlife.
The process of identifying the victims has taken years, partly because many of the recovered bodies had decomposed badly, complicating forensic examinations.
The government began handing over identified remains to families in 2024, although hundreds have continued to remain unclaimed.
The county's latest directive also comes as authorities continue to deal with a separate case linked to Kwa Bi Nzaro in Malindi.
Prosecutors allege that another group of Shakahola followers was subjected to radicalisation and prolonged fasting at Kwa Bi Nzaro in 2025.
Six people are facing charges in the case, including Mackenzie and selfstyled priestess Sharleen Temba Anindo, alias Ann. The case relates to the deaths of 52 people.
According to the prosecution, some survivors of the 2023 Shakahola fasting later returned to Kwa Bi Nzaro after allegedly receiving threatening calls from Mackenzie while he was in prison.
With the 21-day period now running from September 17, families and next of kin who believe their relatives may be among the recovered remains have been urged to complete the identification and collection process before the county proceeds with disposal of the unclaimed bodies under the law.