PS Omollo: Balanced approach key in tackling religious extremism
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has emphasised the need for a balanced strategy in addressing religious extremism, one that protects freedom of worship while safeguarding society from radical exploitation.
Speaking to an international TV station on August 31, 2025, Omollo said the government is working closely with religious leaders to strengthen self-regulation within faith communities.
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“We are working with religious leaders to strengthen self-regulation within faith communities, while a proposed Religious Organisations Bill will vet and register institutions and their leaders to ensure accountability and credibility,” he stated.
At the same time, the PS said the government is prioritising support for vulnerable groups, with a focus on creating pathways for victims of extremism to heal, rebuild their lives, and reintegrate into society with dignity.
Kwa Binzaro exhumations
His remarks come a few days after four more bodies were recovered from shallow graves in Kwa Binzaro village, Kilifi County, according to human rights activist Hussein Khalid.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, VOCAL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Khalid stated that the bodies included two adults and two children.
“While the two adult bodies were each in a grave, the bodies of the two children were in one grave. This brings the total number of bodies exhumed as of now to 17,” he stated.
This came a day after authorities exhumed four more bodies from shallow graves during Monday’s August 25, 2025, operation.
Coast Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha, who is leading the operation, confirmed the arrest of 11 individuals in connection with the latest incident, including the woman believed to be at the centre of the suspected cult activities.
“We have arrested the main culprit, the lady who was operating here, and 10 other suspects. Investigations are ongoing, and we want to establish who sold this land to her, because this is part of Chakama Ranch,” he said.
While DNA profiling of the bodies has yet to begin, preliminary investigations suggest that some of the victims were previously rescued during the Shakahola operation. Authorities now believe that after being rescued, some individuals may have returned to the forested area, possibly due to rejection by their families or communities.
“Some of them were not fully accepted by their families or communities. That made them come back to this area—although not to the exact spot as the earlier incident, but further inside,” Onyancha added.
The revelations have once again raised concerns about the reintegration of cult survivors and the effectiveness of follow-up measures by government and rehabilitation agencies.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ Homicide Unit has so far mapped out 27 suspected graves at the site. The exhumation and investigation exercise is set to continue on Tuesday as authorities work to unravel the full scale of the alleged cult’s operations.
