Shakahola starvation deaths: 73 bodies linked to Kenyan cult found, Ruto vows action

A total of 73 people have been reported dead till now in the Kenyan starvation cult incident. Police on Monday discovered more bodies of alleged members of the cult that practised starvation, bringing the toll to 73 from 57 earlier. Officials have been searching a forest near the coastal town of Malindi for days. Dozens of corpses have already been exhumed and authorities fear more grisly discoveries are likely to be made in the coming days.

"We have 73 bodies from the forest by this evening and the exercise will continue tomorrow," AFP news agency quoted a police officer involved in the probe as saying, with a second official also confirming the toll.

Kenyan President William Ruto slammed the deaths and the starvation cult movement on Monday, and vowed to crack down on "unacceptable" religious movements.

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Authorities have launched an investigation into the Good News International Church and its leader, Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, as named in court documents. The cult leader told his followers that starving themselves to death will deliver them to God.

A few of his devotees might still be hiding in the bush around Shakahola, officials believe. The police had raided the forest earlier this month after receiving a tip-off from a local non-profit. Since then, a number of people have been rescued and dozens of bodies unearthed in mass graves.

A 325-hectare area of the forest has been declared a crime scene.

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Ruto likened rogue pastors like Nthenge to terrorists. "Terrorists use religion to advance their heinous acts. People like Mr Mackenzie are using religion to do exactly the same thing."

"I have instructed the agencies responsible to take up the matter and to get to the root cause and to the bottom of the activities of... people who want to use religion to advance a weird, unacceptable ideology."

The cult and the associated deaths are being dubbed the "Shakahola Forest Massacre". Questions are arising about how the cult managed to operate despite Nthenge having been arrested before.

He was first arrested in 2017 on charges of "radicalisation" for urging families not to send their children to school. He told them education was not recognised by the Bible. He was arrested again last month, according to local media, after two children starved to death in the custody of their parents.

He was released on bail before surrendering to police following the Shakahola raid. Fourteen more people are reportedly in custody over the Shakahola deaths and the case is due to be heard on May 2.

(With inputs form agencies)

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