Death toll linked to Kenyan cult surpasses 200; at least 600 people missing
The Kenyan doomsday cult has been linked to the deaths of 201 people, after police exhumed 22 more bodies on Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
According to the report, the coast regional commissioner said, most of the dead found showed signs of starvation. Meanwhile, more than 600 people remain missing.
The bodies are believed to be parishioners of a pastor Paul Mackenzie, who is based in the coastal regions of Kenya, the publication wrote.
Preacher Paul Mackenzie, center, who was arrested two weeks ago for asking his followers to starve to death in order to meet Jesus, appears at a court in Malindi, Kenya Tuesday, May 2, 2023. The court in Malindi released the pastor and the police re-arrested him and presented him at an upper court in the coastal town of Shanzu. (AP Photo)AP
Mackenzie who is now in police custody, is alleged to have ordered congregants to starve till death in order to meet Jesus, reported the AP. The bodies were found on Mackenzie’s 800-acre property, the report states.
Police plan to charge Mackenzie with terror-related offenses.