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A lurid case of religious extremism mourns Kenya. The Police reported that the bodies found of victims of a Christian leader who would have motivated them to prolong a fast for days until they starved to death increased to 113. The first bodies were found in April, meanwhile, the authorities are investigating the facts and have already captured some suspects. The president of the African country condemned what happened and announced the creation of an investigative committee.
More details are beginning to emerge about the case in which Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, a pastor in Kenya, encouraged parishioners to “find Jesus Christ” through extreme fasting.
The leader of the Christian sect carried out “spiritual retreats” in the Shakahola forest, in the south of the country, where the authorities are still looking for the more than 560 people who were reported missing and who could be linked to this case.
“I am afraid that we have many graves in this forest, and this makes us conclude that this was a highly organized crime (…) Currently 20 mass graves are being opened. The process is far from over,” said the Kenyan Interior Minister. , Kithure Kindiki.
Some of the victims were also found with marks of strangulation, suffocation and torture. Other of the corpses corresponded to minors, as revealed by the chief pathologist Johansen Oduo.
According to the first investigations, the faithful were forced to continue fasting, even if they wanted to abandon it.
Ezekiel Odero, a well-known television preacher, was also linked to this massacre and was arrested, but was released last week after posting $9,000 in bail.
The preacher had been accused of receiving large amounts of cash, which allegedly came from Mackenzie’s followers, who, according to investigations, sold their assets after receiving the order from the cult leader.
The first fatalities had been found at the end of Aprilbut the exhumations were suspended for several days due to a series of heavy rains that affected the work of the authorities.
But some parishioners had better luck, the authorities reported that they have found at least 68 people alive, who would be key players in clarifying the facts.
Who is the shepherd?
Paul Mackenzie Nthenge is an ex-taxi driver who in 2003 decided to become a pastor and found the ‘International Church of Good News’, which had been under the scrutiny of the authorities several times.
Mackenzie has been detained several times for his extreme preaching and was arrested earlier this year for encouraging children not to study, arguing that education is not recognized by the Bible, but was quickly released.
On April 14, the Christian leader turned himself in to the authorities after learning of the first cases of people who had died during fasting.
On May 4, he was released along with his wife and 16 other suspects, but they were re-arrested a few minutes later.
Now a court is expected to decide on the future of the detainees. For his part, the President of Kenya, William Ruto, appointed a commission of inquiry to “determine the administrative or security negligence that could have occurred.”
Similarly, the president condemned the events and assured that it is an “act of terrorism” and has said that his government is committed to ensuring that something like this does not happen again.
With EFE and local media
