The death toll in Kenya’s starvation cult has risen to 58, with police finding most of the bodies in mass graves in a forest in eastern Kenya. The followers of the Good News International Church believed that they would go to heaven if they starved themselves. The Kenyan Red Cross has reported that 112 people have been reported missing. The police chief said that there were 29 survivors, with police still searching for others. The cult’s leader, Paul Mackenzie, was arrested on April 14, and 14 other cult members are in police custody. The forest has been sealed off, and the incident has been declared a “scene of crime.”
The discovery of the mass graves has shocked Kenya, and the death toll is expected to rise further. The Kenyan Red Cross has set up a tracing and counselling desk at a local hospital to help the families of the missing. The survivors have been rescued and are receiving medical attention. The police are still searching for other potential survivors.
The Good News International Church’s teachings were contrary to any authentic religion, according to Kenya’s president. He has instructed relevant agencies to get to the root cause of what happened and to tackle “people who want to use religion to advance weird, unacceptable ideology in the Republic of Kenya that is causing unnecessary loss of life.” The incident has led to calls for tighter regulation of every church, mosque, temple, or synagogue going forward.
Mackenzie’s previous arrests concerning the deaths of children were still proceeding through the court. The cult leader’s arrest has been a significant breakthrough for the investigation. The police are carrying out exhumations and investigations, along with forensic investigators, homicide detectives, and government pathologists, to determine the cause of death and what led to the mass graves. Mackenzie is currently in detention and refusing food and water.