The death toll from a suspected Kenyan starvation cult increased to 90 on Tuesday, including multiple minors, as police said investigators are slowing down the search for bodies as the mortuaries are getting packed.
Authorities fear that more bodies could be found as search teams dug up 17 bodies on Tuesday, with investigators saying minors make up the majority of victims of what has been dubbed the Shakahola Forest massacre.
Kenyans have been shocked by the discovery of mass graves in Shakahola Forest near the coastal town of Malindi, with local priest Paul Mackenzie Nthenge charged with prompting his disciples to death by orating that starvation was the singular course to God.
Mackenzie was arrested again in March, according to local media, after two children starved to death in the custody of their parents. He is due in court on May 2.
Kenya’s government has pledged to take strict action against fringe religious outfits with a Christian majority.
The Kenya Red Cross said 212 people had been reported missing to its support staff in Malindi, out of which two were reunited with their families.
Hussein Khalid, executive director of the rights group Haki Africa that tipped off the police about Nthenge’s activities, said the cult appeared to require children to starve first, followed by women, and finally men.
“50% to 60% of the victims were children whose bodies were found wrapped in cotton shrouds,” said Haki Africa.
“The horror that we have seen over the last four days is traumatising. Nothing prepares you for shallow mass graves of children.”
The state-run Malindi Sub-County Hospital has warned that its mortuary is running out of space to store the bodies.
Hospital administrator Said Ali said: “The hospital mortuary has a capacity of 40 bodies, and officials had reached out to the Kenya Red Cross for refrigerated containers.”
Kenyan politician Kithure Kindiki said 34 people had been found alive so far in the 325-hectare area of woodland.
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