Investigators in Kilifi are uncovering how money fueled the deadly Kwa Binzaro cult where nine bodies were exhumed last week.
Court documents in Malindi show suspects transferred funds to run operations, rent houses in Malindi, and move victims to remote ranches. Detectives believe the homes were used to host followers before transporting them to Chakama Ranch where they were locked up and starved to death.
The killings are linked to preacher Paul Mackenzie, who remains in custody over similar massacres in Shakahola. Police say suspects Kahindi Kazungu Garama, Thomas Mukonwe, James Kahindi Kazungu, and Sharleen Temba Anido forced believers to fast until death.
To follow the money, investigators obtained access to bank and mobile money records. They told the court that suspects used cash to drive recruitment, logistics, and indoctrination. Authorities asked for thirty more days to detain them as they pursue evidence.
Electronic devices seized from suspects, including phones and data drives, are being analyzed by the Anti-Terror Police Unit. Detectives hope to map the communication channels and trace financial instructions that linked the cult leaders.
Preliminary findings show the group traveled across Kenya spreading Mackenzie’s doomsday messages. They allegedly convinced families to abandon homes and join the sect, believing starvation would guarantee entry to heaven.
Some victims were housed in several Malindi rentals before being ferried to Kwa Binzaro for deadly fasting rituals. Police are now tracing the owners of these properties to record statements and help piece together the network.
Families across Kenya continue to report missing relatives, many suspected to have followed cult preachers. Authorities fear Kwa Binzaro could be another Shakahola, as graves keep being unearthed in the expansive Chakama ranch.
The case has now widened into one of Kenya’s most disturbing cult probes, with police focusing on both the spiritual manipulation and the financial machinery that kept the deadly network alive.
By Kenyans