By Staff Reporter
MALINDI, April 24 – Kenyan police have exhumed 47 bodies near the coastal town of Malindi, as they investigate a preacher who allegedly told followers to starve themselves to death. The disturbing discovery of shallow graves in the Shakahola forest, where 15 members of the Good News International Church were rescued last week, has shocked the nation. Children’s bodies were among the dead.
Church leader, Paul Makenzie Nthenge, is in custody pending a court appearance and has been described as a “cult leader” by state broadcaster KBC. So far, 58 graves have been identified, and one is believed to contain the bodies of five members of the same family.
Mr Nthenge has denied wrongdoing but has been refused bail. He claims to have shut down his church in 2019, but the police believe that he is still active and has continued to lure people into his cult. He allegedly named three villages – Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Judea – and baptized followers in ponds before telling them to fast.
Victor Kaudo of the Malindi Social Justice Centre said, “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.”
Kenyan Interior Minister, Kithure Kindiki, has declared the entire 800-acre forest a crime scene and sealed it off. Pathologists will take DNA samples and conduct tests to determine whether the victims died of starvation.
Kenya is a religious country, and there have been previous cases of people being lured into dangerous, unregulated churches or cults. The government has a responsibility to crack down on such groups and ensure the safety of its citizens. The tragedy of the Malindi cult is a stark reminder of the dangers of blind faith and the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation.
Source: BBC News
