The bodies of over 400 people have been found in the Kenyan village of Shakahola – they are victims of the activities of the International Church of Good News – a sect whose founder is accused of mass murder.
The bodies of 403 people have already been found in the Kenyan village of Shakahola, which was the headquarters of the International Church of Good News, the prefect of the region, Rhoda Onyancha, said on Monday. Authorities Kenya they expect the death toll to rise further.
The founder of the Good News Church was self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie – a former taxi driver – who has been in custody since April 14. The charges against him include mass murder, but also include “terrorism”.
The bodies of over 400 cult members have been foundReuters archive
The victims of the extreme fast imposed by the Good News Church are mostly adults. Many children whose bodies were exhumed near the village of Shakahola were strangled or beaten to death, AFP reported.
The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the biggest failure of our security system
From the name of the village that was the headquarters of the movement, the tragedy of the sect’s members was called the “Shakahola massacre”.
Kenya’s interior minister, Kithure Kindiki, said that every clergyman would be required to abide by the laws. “The Shakahola massacre is the greatest failure of our security system,” the minister said on July 11 during a hearing before a Senate committee. He also referred to the fact that Mackenzie, who had been arrested by the police before, was released each time.
The Kenyan government has announced that a memorial to the victims of the sect will be built in the Shakahola forest so that “Kenyans and the world will not forget what happened.”
Main photo source: Reuters archive