Kenya doomsday cult deaths’ site to be turned into national memorial: Minister

Kenyan authorities will be converting the coastal forest where bodies of more than 250 people linked to a doomsday Christian cult were killed and buried, into a national memorial, according toInterior Minister Kithure Kindiki.

Kindiki said the forest"where grave crimes have been committed will not remain as it was".

"The government will convert it into a national memorial, a place of remembrance so that Kenyans and the world do not forget what happened here," he said in a statement.

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After the exhuming process is completed, a multi-faith ceremony will be held at the site“to secure the sacred right and freedom of worship that has been violated by crooks hiding behind scriptures to radicalise and indoctrinate their followers", addedKindiki.

WATCH |Gravitas: The Kenya Christian cult deaths

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The mass graves were discovered inShakahola forest, a 325-hectare (800-acre) bushland that lies inland from the Indian Ocean town of Malindi. The minister, however, stated that the cult's activities spread far and beyond the Shakahola forest. Authorities had extended their investigation toa ranch in the area stretching over more than 14,980 hectares (37,000 acres).

According to the latest reports, the total death toll in the case has risen to 251withadditional bodies being discovered on Tuesday, following the start of the third phase of the exhumation process.

The shocking Kenya religious starvation cult

In April, the Kenyan authorities raided the premises of Paul Makenzie Nthenge, a pastor who ran the Good News International Church and advised followers to starve themselves in order to "meet Jesus".

A former deputy preacher of the cult, Titus Katana said children were thefirst to perish and were asked to “to fast in the sun so they would die faster", according to reports.

After Katana left the cult, he said he went to the police to report that “kids are dying” in the forest but to no avail.

“They [Police] never took any action until it was too late,” he said.

Since then, the case has gained international prominence with another pastor namedEzekiel Odero named as the second culprit, responsible formurder, aiding suicide, abduction, radicalisation, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud, and money laundering.

Last week, during a court appearance, Mackenzie told reporters that he had“never seen anybody starving” when asked about accusations that his followers and their children starved themselves following his instructions. He added that the hearing was a "matter of intimidation" and time-wasting.

As per the Coast Regional Commissioner, over 600 people have been reported missing, including from villages around the forest.

(With inputs from agencies)

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