Kenya Cult Death Toll Now Reaching More than 300

VIVA – The death toll linked to a cult in Kenya, accused of ordering followers to starve themselves to death to meet Jesus, has reached 300 people, and the number is expected to rise as further exhumations are planned.

According to authorities, the deceased individuals were members of the Good News International Church, led by Pastor Paul Mackenzie.

Mackenzie stands accused of instructing his followers, including children, to starve themselves in order to reach heaven before the world's end.

The death toll reached 303 following the exhumation of 19 additional bodies from a mass grave located in the Shakahola forest in southeast Kenya, where the self-proclaimed pastor and his followers resided.

Rhoda Onyancha, a county official, reported that over 600 people have been reported missing.

Last week, investigators expanded the search for victims to cover a broader area.

Local media reported that approximately 65 rescued followers were charged with attempted suicide on Monday after they refused to eat between June 6 and 10 during their stay at the rescue center.

Minister Kithure Kindiki expressed concern last month that some of Mackenzie's rescued followers were still under the influence of brainwashing and continued to reject food.

He mentioned that one person had died, stating, "We tried to stop him," as a Kenyan teenager recounted how the cult caused his mother's starvation.

Pastor Mackenzie turned himself in to the police in April, and last month a court denied his bail application. He has not yet been asked to enter a plea.

Earlier this year, he was arrested on suspicion of killing two children through starvation and suffocation but was later released.

Relatives of his followers claim that Mackenzie subsequently returned to the jungle and moved up his predicted date for the end of the world or apocalypse from August to April 15.

Mackenzie is expected to appear in court again this week, with the police granted additional time to detain him for further investigations.