Kenyan police have made a gruesome discovery in a forest in eastern Kenya, where they have recovered 73 bodies from mass graves thought to be followers of a Christian cult. The group reportedly believed that they would ascend to heaven if they starved themselves to death. The death toll has been rising as exhumations continue. Presently, the Kenyan Red Cross has set up a tracing and counseling desk for 112 missing persons.
The cult’s leader, Paul Mackenzie, was arrested on April 14 following a tip-off about the existence of shallow graves containing at least 31 of his followers. Mackenzie has been arraigned and is currently in detention. He is reportedly refusing food and water. The police have arrested three more people, with one being held on suspicion of being a close associate of Mackenzie. ‘Pastor’ Zablon Wa Yesu suspected to be a senior member of Mcakenzie’s ‘church’ was found reading a Bible on an 800-acre piece of land, within the Shakahola forest
Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations has reported that 33 people have been rescued so far, while 14 other cult members are in police custody. The cult members had been living in secluded settlements in the 800-acre area.
President William Ruto has described Mackenzie’s teachings as contrary to any authentic religion, adding that he is a terrorist who pretends and postures as a pastor. Ruto has instructed relevant agencies to investigate the incident and to tackle those who use religion to promote “weird, unacceptable ideology.”
The police chief Japhet Koome, visiting the scene earlier on Monday, said most of the people were found in mass graves. However, several emaciated people who were rescued from the cult later died further raising the death toll. Shockingly, some of the rescued people refused any food or water claiming the rescuers were ruining their chances of getting into heaven. Charles Kamau, the head detective in Malindi, Kilifi County, said the death toll currently stands at 73 people, with the possibility of it rising further, considering only a fifth of the estimated 60 mass graves has been examined.
In addition, stories of several high-standing members of society upending their lives to join the cult have since emerged shocking the country with many wondering how so many people could have been brainwashed to deadly extents with no one knowing.
Perhaps the saddest and most perplexing part of this horrific incident however is the fact that most of Mackenzie’s victims are women and children. Heart-wrenching stories of the pastor convincing followers to starve their children to death have shaken the nation to the core and resulted in public uproar.
The cult’s beliefs and practices have been criticized by many, and the tragic incident has brought to light the dangers of radical beliefs and cults.
