NAIROBI: The death toll in a harrowing investigation linked to a cult in Kenya that practiced starvation has risen to 201, as authorities discovered 22 additional bodies in a coastal forest, according to a government official on Saturday.
Police believe that the majority of the bodies found in a forest near the Malindi town, along the Indian Ocean, belong to followers of Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, a former taxi driver turned preacher who allegedly incited his followers to starve themselves to death to “meet Jesus.”
Coast Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha, who announced the latest figures, revealed that 26 individuals have been arrested in connection with the deaths. Among those detained are Mackenzie and an “enforcer gang” responsible for ensuring that no one broke their fast or escaped from the forest hideout alive.
Onyancha stated that the exhumation process will be temporarily paused for two days to allow investigators to reorganize their efforts. The process is expected to resume on Tuesday.
Mackenzie has not yet entered a plea but was ordered to stay in custody for an additional three weeks by a court on Wednesday, pending further investigations into what has been referred to as the “Shakahola Forest Massacre.”
The 50-year-old founder of the Good News International Church surrendered himself to the authorities on April 14, following a tip-off that led the police to enter the Shakahola forest.
Kenya starvation victims
While starvation appears to be the primary cause of death, some victims, including children, showed signs of strangulation, beating, or suffocation, according to chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor.
The case has shocked the people of Kenya and prompted President William Ruto to establish a commission of inquiry into the deaths, as well as a task force to review the regulations governing religious organizations.
