Busia, Kenya – The body of a 45-year-old man from Busia County has been discovered in Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County, under mysterious circumstances. The man, identified as Samuel Owino, was reported missing last week after he left home with his two sons.
Owino, a resident of Mundulusia on the outskirts of Busia town, reportedly told his family he was travelling to their ancestral home in South Nyanza. However, he was later found dead in the now-infamous forest in Kilifi County, hundreds of kilometers away from his intended destination.
Family members now believe Owino may have been lured by the cult linked to controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie, whose followers have been associated with mass deaths discovered in the forest since 2023.
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According to his wife and daughter, Owino sold all his livestock before quietly leaving home. They say he appeared troubled and withdrawn in the days leading up to his disappearance.
“We thought he was going to South Nyanza to visit relatives, but now we fear he may have been brainwashed,” said a family member.
The fate of his two sons, who left with him, remains unknown. Their disappearance has deepened the family’s grief and heightened fears of another tragedy.
“We are calling on the government to help us locate the children and assist in transporting our brother’s body back home for burial,” said a relative.
Authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the incident. Local police have confirmed they are working with investigators in Kilifi to establish the circumstances surrounding Owino’s death and to trace the missing children.
Shakahola Forest has remained under tight security following a series of mass graves linked to cult activity. Despite multiple arrests and ongoing investigations, families across the country continue to be affected by the tragedy
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