NAIROBI. – Kenyan President William Ruto yesterday vowed to crack down on “unacceptable” religious movements as police discovered more fatalities in a Christian cult that practised starvation, bringing the toll to 58.
A major search is under way in a forest near the coastal town of Malindi where dozens of corpses were exhumed over the weekend, with authorities fearing more grisly discoveries could be made.
A full-scale investigation has been launched into the Good News International Church and its leader, named in court documents as Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, who preached that death by starvation delivered followers to God.
It is believed some of his devotees could still be hiding in the bush around Shakahola, which was raided by police earlier this month after 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 dug in shallow pits.
“58 people (have been) confirmed dead and this is out of bodies exhumed and those who died on the way to the hospital,” said police chief Japhet Koome who visited the site yesterday.
The toll had stood earlier yesterday at 51.
A 325-hectare (800-acre) area of woodland has been declared a crime scene as teams clad in overalls search for more burial sites and possible cult survivors.
Ruto, speaking in Kiambu county neighbouring Nairobi, said there was “no difference” between rogue pastors like Nthenge – who has been arrested and is awaiting trial – and 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 weird, unacceptable ideology.” – AFP
