Kenya: Kenya religion loss of life passes 300, with additional exhumations arranged
By Ahmad Hadizat Omayoza, Mamos Nigeria
The loss of life connected to a Kenyan minister blamed for requesting his devotees to starve themselves to death to meet Jesus has passed 300, with the figure expected to increment as expected.
According to the authorities, the deceased were members of the Good News International Church, which is led by Paul Mackenzie. Mackenzie is accused of telling his followers to starve themselves and their children so that they could go to heaven before the world ends.
The cost arrived at 303 after 19 additional bodies were uncovered from mass graves in Shakahola backwoods, in south-east Kenya, where the so called minister and his devotees resided.
In excess of 600 individuals have been accounted for missing, a provincial authority, Rhoda Onyancha, said. This past week, investigators expanded their region-wide search for victims.
According to local media, approximately 65 rescued followers were charged with attempted suicide on Monday after refusing to eat between June 6 and 10 during their stay at a rescue center.
Last month, Kithure Kindiki, the interior minister, expressed concern regarding the fact that some of Mackenzie’s rescued followers were refusing to eat. One had passed on, he said.
In April, Mackenzie surrendered to the police and was denied bail last month. He has not yet been expected to enter a supplication.
This year, he was taken into custody on suspicion of killing two children by starvation and suffocation, but he was later released. After that, according to relatives of his followers, he went back to the forest and moved the date he had predicted would be the end of the world from August to April 15.
Police have been granted additional time to detain Mackenzie while they conduct investigations, so he is expected back in court this week.
