Security personnel carry a rescued young person from the forest in Shakahola, outside the coastal town of Malindi, on April 23, 2023. Photo: YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images
Police in Kenya have discovered the bodies of 47 people who are believed to have starved themselves to death as part of a cult ritual. Twenty-one bodies were found on Saturday in a forest near the southeastern coastal town of Malindi, while another 26 corpses were discovered nearby on Sunday. Authorities believe the suspected cult members were part of the Good News International Church, which is led by pastor Paul Mackenzie Nthenge. He has been accused of encouraging his congregation to starve to death so they can “meet Jesus”. Nthenge is already in custody after turning himself in early this month when police discovered four members of his church, including two children, had died after going without food and water for several days. Around 20 more people have been found alive but seriously emaciated. Authorities say some of them have been taken to hospital, where they have refused to eat. Police began their investigations into the church and Nthenge after receiving an anonymous tip-off from a member of the public. The government has promised to provide enough resources to conduct a full sweep of the forest. “We have not even scratched the surface, which gives a clear indication that we are likely to get more bodies by the end of this exercise,” a police source has told the AFP.