Families of affected victims are mourning. Image source: Reuters
Authorities conducting an investigation into an apparent mass suicide have thus far exhumed a total of 201 bodies located in a forest situated in the southeastern region of the country.
According to a former deputy preacher of the cult, as reported by the New York Times, the children were reportedly the first to be killed. The order allegedly involved instructing them to fast under the sun, with the intention of expediting their demise.
According to Titus Katana, both genders proceeded to carry out the suicide plan.
Mr. Katana, who is cooperating with the police investigation, provided details to the Sunday Times regarding the purported severe mistreatment of the children. According to him, they were confined to huts for a period of five days without access to sustenance.
According to his statement, the individuals were wrapped in blankets and buried, including those who were still alive.
According to allegations, the members of the cult were purportedly instructed that they could expedite their ascension to heaven by voluntarily refraining from food and ultimately succumbing to starvation.
The official autopsies conducted on certain bodies discovered at the extensive Shakahola farm, situated in proximity to the coastal town of Malindi, revealed indications of starvation, suffocation, and physical assault.
Over 600 individuals, purportedly affiliated with the doomsday sect under the leadership of Pastor Paul Mackenzie, remain unaccounted for.
The individual identified as Pastor Mackenzie, presently under police custody, stated that he ceased operations of his Good News International Church approximately four years ago, following a period of almost twenty years.
However, the BBC has discovered numerous sermons by him that are still accessible online, and some of them seem to have been recorded after the aforementioned date.
Image source: Reuters
During an interview with Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper a few weeks ago, Pastor Mackenzie refuted allegations that he had coerced his adherents to engage in self-starvation.
According to Mr. Katana’s statement to the New York Times, Pastor Mackenzie preached against education, citing it as satanic, following a purported revelation from God.
Mr. Katana, who is currently aiding a police investigation against the pastor, cited the pastor’s increasingly unconventional teachings as the primary reason for his departure from the cult.
Pastor Mackenzie also advised mothers to refrain from seeking medical assistance during childbirth and to abstain from vaccinating their children.
Pastor Mackenzie’s sermons often center around the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies concerning Judgement Day.
The online content of the church also includes posts pertaining to the end of the world, potential threats, and the perceived hazards of science.
There are frequent reports of a powerful satanic force that is believed to have infiltrated the uppermost levels of authority across the globe.