Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie is accused of urging his followers to starve their children and themselves to death so they could go to heaven before the end of the world and meet Jesus.
Authorities remove a body from a forest in Shakahola, near the coastal town of Malindi, Kenya. (Source: Getty Images)According to a VNA correspondent in Africa, on May 13, government officials in Kenya's Shakahola region said they had just discovered 22 more bodies related to the hunger strike sect - Good News International Church .
According to local officials, 201 bodies have been exhumed since the discovery of mass graves in a plot of land in Shakahola Forest in late April. Meanwhile, the number of people reported missing has risen to 610.
On the same day, authorities arrested another suspect related to the incident, bringing the total number of suspects to 26.
In 2003, self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie founded the cult and was accused of inciting followers to starve their children and themselves to death so they could go to heaven before the end of the world and "meet Jesus."
According to investigators, most of the victims were children.
Paul Mackenzie and 13 others were arrested on April 14.
Kenyan President William Ruto has described the incident as an act of terrorism .
Paul Mackenzie Nthenge was arrested in 2017 on charges of "radicalization" for advocating for children to be kept out of school, arguing thateducation is not recognized in the Bible.
The “Shakahola massacre” has revived the debate over the control of religious practices in Kenya, a predominantly Christian country where “pastors,” “churches,” and other religious movements have become a top topic. Previous attempts to regulate religious practices have met with strong opposition, especially in the name of separation of church and state./.
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