Four people suspected to be part of a controversial cult were found dead and nearly a dozen others were hospitalised in Kenya's coastal Kilifi county after they allegedly received orders from their preacher to starve themselves in a bid to "meet Jesus".
According to Newsweek, the four worshippers of Good News International Church, died after going for days without food and water at Shakahola village in Magarini Constituency. As per the police, the group was found in a forest where they had been living for several days after being told by a local preacher to fast while ''waiting to meet Jesus''.
Police reached the forest after receiving a tip-off about the purported prayer session. They found 15 people participating in the fasting practice, but only 11 arrived at the hospital alive.
Police have said the group had been brainwashed by the leader of the Good News International Church, Makenzie Nthenge, who is also known as Paul Makenzie Nthenge. His followers said that they have been told to fast to avoid ''apocalyptic damnation''. He also advised his followers to starve themselves in order to enter heaven more quickly and meet Jesus.
Authorities also suspect there is a mass grave in the forest where other cult members are buried.
''The ignorant citizens are starving to death in pretext to meet Jesus after being brainwashed by a suspect, one Paul Makenzie Nthenge a pastor of Good News International Church. The police were unable to conduct any further activity at the mass grave because of the hostile residents in the forest believed to be the suspect's followers'' read the police report.
The pastor is currently out on police bail after he was charged last month over the death of two children whose parents are among his followers. Mr Nthenge allegedly told the parents this would make them 'heroes' following which he buried the two babies in a shallow grave, according to TUKO News.
According to the 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom, the predominant religion in Kenya is Christianity and in 2019, approximately 85.5% of the population followed the religion.
