As more bodies are discovered in mass graves, the death toll continues to rise in the tragic aftermath of a Kenyan cult leader’s orders to starve his followers to death, revealing a gruesome reality that has shaken the nation.
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In a shocking tragedy, the death toll connected to a Kenyan cult has now exceeded 300, with the number expected to rise as further exhumations take place. The victims were members of the Good News International Church, led by Pastor Paul Mackenzie, who stands accused of ordering his followers to starve themselves and their children to death in order to reach heaven before the world’s end.
Nineteen additional bodies were recently unearthed from mass graves in the Shakahola forest, located in southeast Kenya, where Mackenzie and his followers resided. Rhoda Onyancha, a regional official, reported that over 600 individuals remain missing. Investigators have expanded their search area in the region to locate more potential victims.
Disturbingly, around 65 followers who were rescued from the cult faced charges of attempted suicide on Monday. They had staged a hunger strike between June 6 and June 10 during their time at a rescue center. Concerns were raised when some of Mackenzie’s previously rescued followers refused to consume food, resulting in the death of one individual.
Mackenzie turned himself in to police in April and was denied bail the following month. He was detained earlier this year on suspicion of murdering two infants via hunger and suffocation, but he was later freed. According to relatives of his followers, he returned to the wilderness and changed his anticipated date for the end of the world from August to April 15.
Pending further investigations, Mackenzie is scheduled to appear in court again this week. The authorities have been granted additional time to detain him. There are discussions about potentially charging him with terrorism or offenses related to genocide.
The case of this Kenyan cult and their practice of starvation to “meet Jesus Christ” has sent shockwaves throughout the country. The death toll has now reached 303, with fears that the true number of fatalities might be considerably higher. The search for mass graves is ongoing in the Shakahola forest, where the initial victims, some deceased and others severely weakened, were discovered on April 13.
Paul Mackenzie, a former taxi driver turned preacher and the founder of the Good News International Church, turned himself in to the police on April 14. Investigators received a tip about the cult’s starvation practices, which led them to Mackenzie’s property. While starvation seems to be the primary cause of death, the chief government pathologist revealed that some victims, including children, were also subjected to strangulation, beatings, or suffocation.
Mackenzie’s ability to elude law enforcement despite past extremism-related crimes has aroused concerns. President William Ruto has formed a committee to investigate the fatalities as well as a task team to reform religious organization legislation.
Ezekiel Odero, another pastor allegedly linked to Mackenzie and the bodies discovered in the forest, is also under investigation. He faces charges including murder, aiding suicide, abduction, radicalization, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud, and money laundering. Law enforcement has arrested at least 35 individuals connected to the cult, and 95 of the church’s followers have been rescued alive since the operation began.
The tragic events surrounding this cult have reignited discussions about the regulation of religious practices in Kenya. The government has announced plans to transform the Shakahola forest into a memorial site, ensuring that the nation and the world never forget what transpired there.
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