Bodies in Shakahola were bound, officer tells court

Bodies of the victims of the Shakahola massacre were wrapped in blankets and white sheets, and tied with ropes.

A police officer, who was part of the team that exhumed 429 bodies from Shakahola Forest on Friday narrated to the Shanzu Court how the bodies were retrieved.

The homicide officer told the court that he travelled to Malindi after receiving instructions from his boss.

On April 19, he entered the forest with a team that included the homicide director, forensic team, crime scene investigators, pathologists, government chemist personnel, public health officers, and others.

"Upon arriving at Shakahola Forest, my colleagues and I saw some people sleeping under the sheds, appearing weak. We conducted searches, rescues, and grave identifications. Some victims looked sickly and requested water," the officer told the Court.

He further disclosed that the team was directed to the grave sites by an escapee.

A male individual who accompanied the investigation team was able to show them where two minors were buried, and they conducted the exhumation.