Carolyne Odour has told the BBC she desperately fears for fate of her two young sons who went missing two months ago with their father - a follower of the teachings of a notorious starvation cult leader.
Ms Odour says that amid an ongoing investigation into more deaths linked to the cult she has identified her husband's body at a mortuary in the coastal town of Malindi.
His corpse was found in July in the village of Kwa Binzaro, inland from Malindi and near the remote Shakahola Forest, where more than 400 bodies were found in 2023 in one of the worst ever cases of cult-related mass deaths.
Ms Odour is now awaiting the results of DNA tests being carried out on more than 30 recently unearthed bodies.
I felt pain. I barely recognised him. His body was badly decomposing, Ms Odour, 40, said about her husband Samuel Owino Owoyo. She believes her sons, 12-year-old Daniel and nine-year-old Elijah, travelled with their 45-year-old father to Kwa Binzaro at the end of June.
Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie is currently on trial over the so-called Shakahola Forest Massacre - and has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. He is alleged to have told his followers they would get to heaven more quickly if they stopped eating - and there have been concerns he has been in touch with his followers from jail.
Ms Odour shares that her husband started listening to the teachings of Mr Mackenzie four or five years ago, which changed his outlook on education and medical care.
Her husband's departure with their two sons raised alarms, as their last communication indicated he was heading to his home village, yet he instead traveled to the site linked with the cult.
In August, she received a call that led to the devastating confirmation of her husband's death, discovered in suspicious circumstances in Kwa Binzaro. She is now left in agonizing uncertainty regarding the whereabouts of her two sons amidst the grim investigation into the cult's activities.
Ms Odour laments the void in her life, saying, I was looking forward to one of my sons going to grade 7 and the other grade 4... Every time I see a child wearing uniform I feel pain because of their absence.\
Ms Odour says that amid an ongoing investigation into more deaths linked to the cult she has identified her husband's body at a mortuary in the coastal town of Malindi.
His corpse was found in July in the village of Kwa Binzaro, inland from Malindi and near the remote Shakahola Forest, where more than 400 bodies were found in 2023 in one of the worst ever cases of cult-related mass deaths.
Ms Odour is now awaiting the results of DNA tests being carried out on more than 30 recently unearthed bodies.
I felt pain. I barely recognised him. His body was badly decomposing, Ms Odour, 40, said about her husband Samuel Owino Owoyo. She believes her sons, 12-year-old Daniel and nine-year-old Elijah, travelled with their 45-year-old father to Kwa Binzaro at the end of June.
Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie is currently on trial over the so-called Shakahola Forest Massacre - and has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. He is alleged to have told his followers they would get to heaven more quickly if they stopped eating - and there have been concerns he has been in touch with his followers from jail.
Ms Odour shares that her husband started listening to the teachings of Mr Mackenzie four or five years ago, which changed his outlook on education and medical care.
Her husband's departure with their two sons raised alarms, as their last communication indicated he was heading to his home village, yet he instead traveled to the site linked with the cult.
In August, she received a call that led to the devastating confirmation of her husband's death, discovered in suspicious circumstances in Kwa Binzaro. She is now left in agonizing uncertainty regarding the whereabouts of her two sons amidst the grim investigation into the cult's activities.
Ms Odour laments the void in her life, saying, I was looking forward to one of my sons going to grade 7 and the other grade 4... Every time I see a child wearing uniform I feel pain because of their absence.\
