The macabre tally continues in the Shakahola forest in eastern Kenya: ten new bodies of suspected members of a cult advocating extreme fasting were found on Tuesday. These new discoveries bring the death toll from the “Shakahola forest massacre” to 83 .
Monday evening, police sources reported 73 dead since the search began on April 14. On Tuesday morning, an AFP reporter on the spot saw five new bodies wrapped in blue body bags, while five others – including those of three children – were being pulled from a shallow mass grave.
Two survivors with severely emaciated bodies were also found. This case arouses horror and indignation in this East African country.
President William Ruto on Monday called the “pastor” of this group called the Good News International Church, Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, a “terrorist”, who advocated fasting to meet Jesus. Mr Ruto promised tough action against those “who want to use religion to advance a shady and unacceptable ideology”.
morgue full
Investigators are looking for dozens of mass graves in a vast forest area of ​​325 hectares, located not far from the coastal town of Malindi. Faced with the influx of bodies, the Malindi sub-county hospital morgue is full, hospital administrator Said Ali told AFP.
“The hospital morgue has a capacity of 40 bodies,” he said, saying the Red Cross had been asked to provide refrigerated containers. At least 31 survivors have also been found and hospitalized since the search began, according to the police.
An investigator told AFP that up to six people were buried in the same grave, while other bodies were found on the ground. According to the Kenya Red Cross, 212 people have been reported missing at its on-site tracing office.
