Police discover 47 bodies linked to 'starvation cult' in Kenya

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Kenyan police have discovered 47 bodies in their investigation into a "starvation cult" along the coastal town of Malindi.

The bodies of the 47 followers of the Good News International Church were exhumed from forests near the church belonging to pastor Paul Makenzie Nthenge, who is in custody and awaiting a court appearance.

"Yes, our officers exhumed 26 bodies on Sunday," Malindi Police chief Charles Kamau told Anadolu, adding that the death toll from the cult now stands at 47.

The members of the cult believed that they would meet Jesus if they starved themselves.

State broadcaster KBC described Nthenge as a cult leader who has denied wrongdoing and insisted on closing his church in 2019. However, the court has denied bail.

The media outlet reported that 58 graves have so far been identified.

The search teams found 26 bodies on Sunday, the local police in a statement said, adding that the bodies had previously been discovered in the forests near the church also.

Kenya’s Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said in a statement that he would visit the forest on Tuesday, referring to the discovery as the “Shakahola Forest Massacre.”

The discovery comes after at least four people were confirmed dead and 11 other emaciated churchgoers were rescued from the cult-like church in Kilifi County, Malindi district, on April 14.

Following the rescue of the emaciated churchgoers, police launched an investigation into the cult.

The discovery of the bodies has sent shockwaves throughout the country, raising concerns about the rise of cult-like churches in Kenya.