MORE than 50 bodies have been exhumed from a land belonging to Pastor Paul Makenzi of the Good News International Church, in coastal Kenya, who was arrested for telling his followers to fast to death.
The followers said they were starving on the pastor’s instructions in order to “meet Jesus”.
Authorities have, so far, recovered at least 58 bodies from mass graves, Reuters reported Monday, April 24, citing the country’s police chief.
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Malindi sub-county police chief John Kemboi said that more shallow graves have yet to be dug up on the land belonging to Makenzi, who was arrested on April 14 over links to cultism.
The pastor has also been fingered in the death of two children who were starved and strangled to death by their parents “to please God”.
The chilling discovery of the bodies was made after a tip off from members of the public led police to raid the pastor’s property in Malindi, where they found 15 emaciated people, including four who later died last week.
Police had been told there were dozens of shallow graves spread across Makenzi’s farm and digging started on Friday, April 21.
The pastor has been arrested twice before, in 2019 and on March 22, this year, in relation to the deaths of children.
Each time, he was released on bond, and both cases are still proceeding through the court.
Police have asked a court to allow them to hold Makenzi longer as investigations into the deaths of his followers continue.