police officers watch as forensic scientists and homicide detectives exhume the remains of suspected members of the Good News International Church, a Christian cult that adherents believed would ensure their entrance into heaven by starving themselves to death. Image source:
Stringer/Reuters.
Kenyan police discovered 58 victims in mass graves in the Shakahola forest in the country’s eastern region, according to the country’s police head.
The deceased were thought to be members of a Christian sect who believed that if they starved themselves, they would rise to heaven.
The death toll has risen rapidly over the last 48 hours as Kenyan authorities continue to exhume victims. Furthermore, the Kenyan Red Cross has revealed that 112 people have gone missing and have been reported to a tracking desk, implying that the death toll could increase much higher.
The cult responsible for the deaths has been identified as the Good News International Church, led by Paul Mackenzie.
Mackenzie was detained after receiving information about the location of shallow graves holding the corpses of at least 31 cult members.
On Friday, authorities began exhuming bodies from the Shakahola forest near the seaside town of Malindi.
Earlier this month, authorities rescued 15 church members who had been taught to starve themselves to death.
Tragically, four of the rescued people died before being taken to the hospital.
According to recent claims from local media citing police sources, Paul Mackenzie has refused to eat or drink while in police detention.
According to Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki, the 800-acre forest has been completely cordoned off and designated as a crime scene.
He stated that the perpetrators of the heinous act that has caused harm to many innocent people must face severe punishment, and that there needs to be stricter regulations, including self-regulation, for all religious institutions, such as churches, mosques, temples, or synagogues, in the future.
As of April 24, 2023, 47 deaths were reported. One of the graves is believed to contain the bodies of five members of the same family: three children and their parents.