More bodies discovered as Kenya starvation cult death toll exceeds 300

Authorities are still digging up more bodies from the starvation cult in Kenya’s Shakahola forest.

Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, the cult leader and founder of the Good News International Church, has been accused of ordering his followers to starve to death so they could meet Jesus before the rest of the world.

The discovery of more bodies, now the third phase, comes nearly two months after the atrocity became public knowledge.

As of last month, at least 226 bodies were found, including those of children who were found to have died from strangulations.

On Tuesday, Rhoda Onyancha, regional commissioner, said 19 more bodies were exhumed, bringing the total number of casualties to 303.

Onyancha said 613 persons are still missing while 95 have been rescued.

Onyancha noted that there have been no arrests nor rescues made in the last one week but noted that the state intends to press criminal charges on more than 30 people including Nthenge and Ezekiel Odero, a controversial pastor linked to the deaths.

According to the regional commissioner, some 65 people who had been rescued from the forest where the exhumation exercise is ongoing could also be charged with attempting to kill themselves by resuming starvation at various rescue centres.

Kithure Kindiki, interior cabinet secretary, expressed his shock at the level of damage and assured that detectives were closing in on suspects.

“I am afraid we have a lot of graves, the damage is quite extensive. The process is far from over,” Kindiki said.