Azimio leader Raila Odinga and three local MPs were denied entry into the Shakahola mass gravesite by police on Friday. The authorities claimed that the site was a security operation zone, and that the MPs were only granted permission to visit 30 minutes after Mr. Odinga had left.
The ODM leader had arrived at the scene at midday, accompanied by MPs Amina Mnyanzi (Malindi), Harrison Kombe (Magarini), and Gertrude Mbeyu (Kilifi Woman Rep). He waited for two hours while making calls to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki seeking permission to enter the crime scene. Mr. Odinga said that he intended to condole with Kenyans who had lost relatives at the site.
The Shakahola incident, in which dozens of bodies were discovered in mass graves in the forest, has caught the world's attention. Mr. Odinga criticized the government for banning the media and human rights groups from the area and called for transparency in the operation that is going on in the forest.
He claimed that the controversial pastors conducting cultic activities in the forest had been hobnobbing with senior political leaders in the government and that they should be arrested.
"These are conmen using religion to prey on innocent Kenyans. They are criminals and should be arrested. We raised concerns about the regulations of churches, but we were ignored. Now we have been vindicated. These are the same religious leaders who allow politicians to use the church to politicize," he said.
The opposition leader also questioned why the government had denied him and his team access to the scene but had allowed other MPs to visit. He argued that the responsibility of the government was to protect the lives of Kenyans and accused the security agencies of coming after the act to protect graves and dead bodies.
"The Shakahola massacre should not have happened in a country with law and order. Where were security agencies when this happened? The media should be allowed to cover the happenings," he said.
The National Assembly Administration and Internal Affairs Committee chaired by Gabriel Tongoyo was set to meet with the Kilifi Governor and County Commissioner as well as the county security committee regarding the Shakahola incidences. The MPs who were eventually allowed to visit the site expressed their horror at the deaths and called for justice for the victims.
"Innocent people starved to death. Some suffocated and strangled. This is heinous and horrified the entire world," said Gertrude Mbeyu.
The Shakahola incident has raised concerns about the regulation of churches in Kenya and the activities of cultic groups. It has also highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability from the government in matters of public safety and security.