Four people died, and 11 others are in hospital, with three in critical condition, after they starved themselves fasting to meet Jesus.
Newsweek reports that the followers in Kilifi, Kenya, were allegedly acting on orders from the leader of the Good News International Church, Makenzie Nthenge, who police say brainwashed his followers into this deadly act.
The suspected cult members were discovered in a forest outside Nairobi, where they had been starving themselves to death. Police attempted to rescue the group on April 13th.
However, they were only able to save 11 of the followers.
After receiving a tip-off from a whistleblower, authorities believe that there may be more victims buried in the forest. The police have launched an investigation and will resume their search for victims on Friday.
A police report states that there may be as many as 31 bodies buried in a shallow mass grave in the forest.
This is not the first time that Makenzie Nthenge has been accused of heinous crimes. He was arrested on March 23, 2023, and accused of killing babies and burying them in shallow graves. Nthenge was later released on US$742 bail.
In another shocking revelation, Nthenge was also accused of brainwashing two parents into killing their two children to make them “heroes” in the eyes of God in Shakahola. The parents, Isaac Ngala and Emily Kaunga, were also listed as suspects.
The pastor allegedly buried the babies in a shallow grave in a place called Shakahola in Kilifi.
The Good News International Church has had its share of legal issues in the past. In 2019, Makenzie Nthenge stated that he would close down the church following multiple legal issues, including charges of religious incitement, disobedience to the law, and the indoctrination of children.
However, he denied the charges.