58 Bodies Discovered During Cult Investigation of Kenyan Pastor Who Allegedly Told Followers to Fast to Death

More than 50 bodies have been found so far on land owned by a pastor in coastal Kenya who was arrested for telling his followers to fast to death. Authorities had recovered at least 58 bodies from mass graves, Reuters reported Monday, citing the country’s police chief.

Malindi sub-county police chief John Kemboi said that more shallow graves have yet to be dug up on the land belonging to pastor Paul Makenzi, who was arrested on April 14 over links to cultism.

At least four people died after they and others were discovered starving at the Good News International Church last week.

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A tipoff from members of the public led police to raid the pastor’s property in Malindi, where they found 15 emaciated people, including the four who later died. The followers said they were starving on the pastor’s instructions in order to “meet Jesus.”

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Makenzi was on a hunger strike for the past four days while in police custody. {snip}

The pastor has been arrested twice before, in 2019 and in March of 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.

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