Kenyan preacher arrested after 21 bodies found as part of alleged ‘starvation cult’

The shocking scene that was uncovered by police included dead children, with authorities now investigating the preacher who is alleged to have told followers to starve themselves to death.

One of the graves was believed to contain the bodies of five members of the same family – three children and their parents.

More bodies are expected to be found after the dead were discovered in shallow graves near the coastal town of Malindi.

“In total since yesterday, we have 21 bodies,” a police source told Agence France-Presse on condition of anonymity.

“We have not even scratched the surface which gives a clear indication that we are likely to get more bodies by the end of this exercise.”

Police raided the forest after receiving information that people were “starving to death under the pretext of meeting Jesus after being brainwashed” by the preacher.

Charles Kamau, the criminal investigations officer for Malindi sub-county, alleged: “They starved after being radicalised by a certain member of a church who told them that their work in this world was done … and they were waiting to die and see their creator.”

Last week, 15 members of the Good News International Church were rescued from the area with the youngest aged 17 and four died being even reaching the hospital, while three of them were in critical condition.

Now, its preacher Paul Mackenzie Nthenge is in custody awaiting a court appearance although he has denied any wrongdoing.

Mr Mackenzie claimed he shut down his church back in 2019 but Kenya’s broadcaster KBC described him as a “cult leader”.

The preacher has been alleged to have told followers to starve themselves in order to “meet Jesus” and baptised followers in ponds before telling them to fast, according to Kenyan paper The Standard.

He was arrested 15 April after four bodies were found and it came after he was previously released on bail after two children were alleged to have starved themselves to death in the custody of their parents.

The preacher has gone on a hunger strike in prison.

“This pastor will have to face all these charges even though he has gone on a hunger strike saying that he is praying and fasting in custody,” a police source said.

KBC reported that 58 graves have so far been identified, with pathologists expected to take DNA samples and conduct tests to determine whether the victims died of starvation.

A former member of the cult, Titus Katana, helped police identify some of the burial sites.

“In addition, we have saved the life of a woman who only had a few hours left, otherwise she’d also be dead,” he told Citizen TV.

Victor Kaudo of the Malindi Social Justice Centre told Citizen TV “when we are in this forest and come to an area where we see a big and tall cross, we know that means more than five people are buried there”.