Kenyan cult leader told followers to starve to 'meet Jesus'; over 300 bodies found, 600 may still be missing
A Kenyan cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie ordered his followers to starve themselves 'to meet Jesus' before the world's end, resulting in the death of more than 300 people and over 600 missings.
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FollowIn a shocking finding, over 300 bodies were excavated from mass graves in Shakahola Forest in the southeast after a Kenyan cult leader directed his followers to starve themselves to "meet Jesus". This week as many as 318 bodies were recovered by the investigators and they have expanded their search to a wider area in the region.
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The Good News International church's founder, Paul Nthenge Mackenzie's 65 followers were rescued, however, they refused to eat while being held at a rescue centre. On Monday, they were charged with attempting suicide. One of the greatest cult-related tragedies in recent history took a new turn on Thursday when these malnourished survivors appeared in court.
Local authorities reported that 95 people had been rescued while at least 613 people connected to the cult are still missing.
Mackenzie worked as a cab driver before founding Good News International Church, establishing his congregation, and promoting the Shakahola Forest as a haven. Authorities claim he gave his followers orders to hunger in order for them to die before the end of the world, as he had foreseen. According to government pathologists, some individuals died from strangling and suffocation. Mackenzie is being held in police custody along with more than thirty other people on suspicion of murder and terrorism.
According to regional news sources, the evangelical pastor had a history of breaching the law. He was detained four times between 1997 and 2003 but was never found guilty owing to a lack of evidence. In one instance, Mackenzie was detained after telling kids not to go to school because the Bible did not support it.
He also had a YouTube channel where he urged his subscribers to reject contemporary practices like donning wigs or using electronic payments. Additionally, he was detained twice between March 2019 and March 2023 on suspicion of being involved in child fatalities but was later freed on bond.
Shakahola Forest was intended to be turned into a memorial to individuals who lost their lives as members of Mackenzie's cult, according to the Kenyan government.
“This is not a place that can be reverted to farming, ranching, and other human activities because the souls of our brothers and sisters, adults, and children that we’ve lost here require much more dignity than that,” said Cabinet Secretary of Interior and Administration Kithure Kindiki in a public statement.
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