The recent incident of 21 bodies being exhumed by Kenyan police near the coastal town of Malindi has stirred up a lot of controversy and concern. It has been reported that a preacher named Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, who is currently in custody, instructed members of his Good News International Church to starve themselves in order to “meet Jesus”. Dead children were among those exhumed, and police expect to find even more bodies.
The graves were located in the Shakahola forest, where 15 members of the church were rescued last week. According to state broadcaster KBC, Mr Mackenzie has been described as a “cult leader”, and 58 graves have been identified so far. Shockingly, one of the graves is said to contain the bodies of five members of the same family; three children and their parents. The preacher denies any wrongdoing and claims that he shut down his church in 2019. However, he has been refused bail and awaits a court hearing.
Pathologists will take DNA samples and conduct tests to confirm if the victims were indeed victims of starvation. The preacher allegedly named three villages Nazareth, Bethlehem and Judea, and baptised followers in ponds before telling them to fast. Victor Kaudo of the Malindi Social Justice Centre has expressed shock at the discovery, saying “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”.
