At Least 21 Dead as Kenyan Cult Leader Instructed Followers to Starve Themselves

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On April 22nd, a total of 21 bodies were exhumed in the Shakahola forest, located outside the coastal town of Malindi, in eastern Kenya. According to an anonymous police source, at least three of the exhumed bodies were children.

The source also stated that they "have not even scratched the surface, which gives a clear indication that we are likely to get more bodies by the end of this exercise."

The Investigation

The police investigation was sparked by a tip that members of a sect, the International Church of Good News, were being brainwashed by their leader, Makenzie Nthenge, into "starving themselves to meet Jesus." Nthenge was arrested in March, after two children in the sect had starved to death.

The police official, Charles Kamau, stated that they "went for an operation in Shakahola after receiving information that there is a person who is radicalizing people – or rather brainwashing people – that they should starve their children to death so that they can see God in the future."

The Leader's History

Makenzie Nthenge, who once told a reporter that "education is evil," was also arrested in 2017, when police raided his church and rescued more than 90 children.

Some of the rescued children described Nthenge's teachings as satanic, while others defended him with quotes from the Bible. Nthenge was later released and moved his church to Shakahola. On April 15th, Nthenge surrendered to police and began a hunger strike while in custody.

The police's exhumation of the bodies in Shakahola forest follows the discovery of the remains of four members of the International Church of Good News last week. Eleven more believers, seven men and four women aged 17 to 49, were transported to the hospital after being rescued from the forest.

The Tragic Aftermath

The tragic events in Shakahola forest have left the nation in shock and mourning. The police investigation continues, as they search for answers and justice for the victims and their families. The world watches, waiting for further developments in this heart-wrenching case.