NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 22 — The government has foiled a suspected case of religious radicalisation in Kilifi County following an intelligence-led raid.
The Ministry of Interior and National Administration (MINA) said Tuesday that security and intelligence teams conducted an operation targeting a secluded five-acre homestead in Binzaro Village, Chakama Location within Kilifi’s Langobaya Division following reports of suspicious religious activity.
During the operation, four individuals — 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 — were rescued from the compound.
“Preliminary assessments indicate that the individuals may have been held under the influence of radical teachings,” MINA stated.
Two skulls
Additionally, the Interior Ministry disclosed the raid unearthed two human skulls and the freshly deceased body of an unidentified adult male in nearby thickets.
The team transferred the remains to the Malindi Sub-County Hospital Mortuary for preservation, identification, and forensic examination.
Police are holding the prime suspect, along with three individuals identified as the operational managers of the homestead.
Police also detained three other persons in connection with the sale of the property to the suspect, amid unresolved questions surrounding the legality and transparency of the ownership and transaction processes.
“Investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances relating to the acquisition, management, and use of the parcel,” the Interior Ministry added.
Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) agents in Malindi secured orders for continued protective custody of the rescued individuals and applied for warrants to conduct a more comprehensive forensic search of the site.
Agents also marked the premises, secured and documented, as a crime scene to facilitated further investigations.
Drawing critical lessons from the Shakahola cult tragedy, the government has commended members of the public for “their vigilance and timely action in reporting suspicious activity — an intervention that may have averted a greater loss of life.”
The government reiterated its commitment to confronting radical religious indoctrination and extremist ideologies that exploit vulnerable individuals and communities under the guise of faith.
