Two more people were Tuesday 9 rescued from starvation in Shakahola forest, Kilifi County while waiting to die.
This increased to 65 the number of persons who have were rescued from the thickets.
Witnesses said the two were fasting and praying in a thicket when the security teams arrived.
It shows they have been without food for more than two weeks now since when the area was cordoned off and declared a disturbed area.
The second phase of the exhumation exercise started Tuesday with Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki presiding over the second phase of the exhumation process, which he described as a legal, medical, and human rights exercise that must be undertaken methodically and carefully to protect the dignity and privacy of families of the deceased persons.
“The Government will avail all information on the ongoing exercise, and limited access to the exhumation sites is to ensure that there is no violation of fundamental rights,” he said.
Kindiki said 25 people have so far been arrested, and the investigation team is closing in on level two and level three perpetrators who aided the cult leader Paul Mackenzie to execute the heinous atrocity.
The entire 50,000-acre Chakama ranch remains a security area and scene of the crime with limited access for all persons who are unauthorized.
Dozens more bodies are believed to be buried in shallow graves therein.
Mackenzie, who is in police custody, is being investigated for influencing his followers to starve to death in order to meet their maker.
Police also suspect that some of the victims did not starve to death and may have been killed and then buried on the property.
He has denied wrongdoing but has been refused bail.
He insists that he shut down his church in 2019.
The followers say he told them to starve themselves in order to “meet Jesus”.
