By Samuel Ouma
Kenyan investigators exhumed ten more dead from mass graves tied to a starvation cult on Tuesday, increasing the total number of victims to 83.
Three children were among the ten bodies discovered in the Shakahola forest near the seaside town of Malindi as fatalities in connection with the cult founded by Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, who urged his members to starve to death to meet God.
The death toll has been slowly climbing since operations began, and the Red Cross has revealed that at least 112 individuals have been reported missing in the area.
A multi-agency security team discovered shallow graves on the 800-acre tract of land believed to be held by Good News International Church’s controversial pastor.
Following the discovery, a full-scale probe into the deaths linked to the movement, the Good News International Church, was immediately launched, leading to the arrest of the sect’s leader Makenzie Nthenge.
Pastor Mackenzie, who has had previous run-ins with the law, was first arrested by police in 2017.
Recently on March 23, 2023, he was arraigned in court after being arrested for the alleged death of two children who are believed to have been starved to death.
The suspect was released on a Ksh10,000 ($73.7) cash bail before being rearrested on April 14 and has been in custody since then.
The operation followed a tip-off from the public, prompting detectives to comb the remote piece of land located approximately 79 Kilometers from Malindi town, where the mass graves have been uncovered.
Mackenzie remains in detention, along with 14 others, as the investigation into the deaths continues.
President William Ruto has denounced the act, claiming that the controversial preacher should be imprisoned.
“What is being witnessed in Shakahola is akin to terrorism. Mr Mackenzie who acts as a pastor is in fact a terrible criminal. Terrorists use religion to advance their heinous acts. People like Mackenzie are using religion to do exactly the same thing,” said President William Ruto.
