Police believe most of the dead, found in a forest near the coastal city of Malindi, were followers of self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, who is on trial for urging his followers to starve themselves to “meet Jesus”.
About 25 people, including Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and a group tasked with making sure no one broke the fast or left the forest, are in police custody, according to Police Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha. Another pastor, the well-known TV preacher Ezekiel Odoro, is also charged in the same case.
Autopsies show that most of those found died of starvation, according to the authorities. But some victims, including children, are said to have been suffocated, strangled or beaten to death.
According to a legal document filed by police with the court, some of the bodies were missing organs and a theory being investigated is that the cult traded human organs in a well-coordinated operation involving several people.
Due to the sectarian murders, Kenyan President William Ruto has launched a special effort to regulate how religious activities are regulated, without infringing on freedom of religion.