Prosecution has filed a fresh court application seeking to detain controversial preacher Paul Makenzie and his co-suspects for six months to allow police to conclude their probe into the Shakahola massacre.

Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jami Yamina told the court police have not finished their probe after an earlier court order extending the detention of Makenzie and his co-suspects for 47 days lapsed.

The application by the prosecution to detain the 29 Shakahola massacre suspects for 180 more days was filed before Malindi Senior Principal Magistrate Yusuf Shikanda on Monday.

A supporting affidavit from Chief Inspector Raphael Wanjohi showed that DNA profiling of 429 bodies exhumed from Shakahola forest is delicate, expensive and time-consuming.

The application also revealed that pathologists needed at least an extra six months to finish the DNA profiling process to conclusively ascertain the real identity of the exhumed bodies.

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PHOTO/ODPP 

The court, however, suspended the hearing of the application by the prosecution to allow lawyers representing Makenzie and his 30 co-suspects to file their responses.

Additionally, the probation service also sought 30 days to conclude the social inquiry report on the shocking and mysterious killing and burying of more than 400 unidentified persons.