An investigation into a “starvation cult” in Kenya has led to the discovery of 47 bodies, including those of children. Police have stated that exhumations are ongoing, and the graves have been found in Shakahola forest, where 15 members of the Good News International Church were rescued last week. The church’s leader, Paul Makenzie Nthenge, is currently in custody pending a court appearance. State broadcaster KBC has described him as a “cult leader,” and it has been reported that 58 graves have been identified so far.
One of the graves is believed to contain the bodies of five members of the same family, including three children and their parents. Mr. Nthenge has denied any wrongdoing but has been refused bail. He insists that he shut down his church in 2019. Allegedly, he instructed his followers to starve themselves to “meet Jesus.”
The Kenyan daily, The Standard, has reported that pathologists will take DNA samples and conduct tests to determine whether the victims died of starvation. On 15 April, police arrested Mr. Nthenge after discovering the bodies of four people suspected of having starved themselves to death.
Victor Kaudo of the Malindi Social Justice Centre has told Citizen TV that “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.” It has been reported that Mr. Nthenge allegedly named three villages Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Judea and baptized followers in ponds before telling them to fast.
Kenya is a religious country, and there have been previous cases of people being lured into dangerous, unregulated churches or cults. The country’s Interior Minister, Kithure Kindiki, has stated that all 800 acres of the forest have been sealed off and declared a crime scene. The investigation into this “starvation cult” and the tragic loss of life is ongoing.
