40 bodies dug up as probe into Kenyan cultic church continues

GOOBJOOG NEWS | NAIROBI: Kenyan authorities have dug out at least 40 bodies in a land owned by a controversial pastor in the Coastal town of Malindi.

According to police, the pastor, who has since been arrested operated the Good News International Church which advised its members to fast to death as a way to “meet Jesus”.

Malindi police boss John Kemboi said the bodies were discovered in shallow graves and that more such scenes are yet to be dug up in the expansive piece of land owned by  pastor Paul Makenzi raising fears that more bodies might still be discovered.

Police have requested a court in Malindi to hold the pastor as investigations into the deaths continue with the country’s Internal Security Minister Kithure Kindiki and other top security officials are scheduled to visit the area – which has been marked by police as a “scene of crime”.

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.

Police had also been told there were dozens of shallow graves spread across Makenzi’s farm and digging started on Friday.

Makenzi has been on hunger strike for the past four days while in police custody.

Local politicians have urged the court not to release him this time, decrying the spread of cults in the Malindi area.

Cults are common in Kenya, which has a largely religious society.

• By Fauxile Kibet