Officials fear a notorious starvation death cult in Kenya could still be operating after fresh bodies were discovered in a village just 20 miles away.
It comes after an investigation in 2023 uncovered almost 450 bodies in mass graves in what has since been dubbed the Shakahola Forest Massacre.
The majority of the bodies, found just inland on Kenya's picturesque beaches, had died from starvation; however, some of them, including many children, had clearly been beaten, strangled and suffocated.
The deaths were part of a religious starvation cult, in which self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie allegedly told followers they would 'meet Jesus' faster if they stopped eating.
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Known as the Good News International Ministries, people travelled from all over Kenya to join the reported cult, located in the Shakahola Forest, part of Chakama Ranch in Kilifi County.
However, the group allegedly used enforcers to ensure that no one made it out of the forest alive, meaning anyone who disagreed with the starvation methods was likely killed for doing so.
Mackenzie, a former taxi driver, was arrested alongside 29 others, and was charged with murder, terrorism-related offences and several other crimes. His trial is currently ongoing.
Authorities initially believed the threat to be over once the alleged leaders had been apprehended. However, the discovery of several more bodies in the neighbouring village of Kwa Binzaro has sparked real concerns.
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Nine bodies were exhumed from shallow graves in July after authorities started investigating the disappearance of children. More recently, a man who is now in protective custody managed to escape the cult and call family to let them know some of his children had died.
Two months prior to the discovery of the bodies, back in April, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said there were allegations that Mackenzie had been communicating with his followers via mobile phone from his prison cell.
The village where the recent graves were discovered consists of just 140 homes and one shop, with no running water. Despite Binzaro rarely seeing any visitors, there is now police tape surrounding the site where 34 bodies and 102 body parts were found.
Police have arrested 11 people in Binzaro, with at least four of them being members of the cult with children who had also died there, according to court documents.
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Victor Kaudo, head of the Malindi Community Human Rights Centre, believes there are more bodies in the area, but they have been forced to stop digging for now as the morgues are currently full.
The suspected leader of the Binzaro group, Sharleen Temba Andio, is believed to have had a base near the Shakahola group, with motorbikes ferrying small groups of believers being transported from the forest to the new location in the middle of the night.
The trials over the deaths are ongoing.
Topics: World News
Emma Rosemurgey