Ten more bodies were Friday exhumed from Shakahola Forest land linked to Pastor Paul Mackenzie on Wednesday bringing the death toll to 336.
Mackenzie is being investigated for crimes including aiding suicide, after allegedly convincing members of his Good News International Church to starve themselves to death in order to meet Jesus.
The cult leader and tens of suspects have been arrested amid investigations and a court case to establish what happened in Shakahola.
Coast Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha said 19 bodies have been identified, 95 people rescued, 65 arrested and 613 reported missing.
She said the third phase of exhumation had been suspended to allow a planned autopsy on the bodies.
“Exhumation has been suspended to prepare for an autopsy to be conducted on the bodies that have been exhumed during phase three.
A new for resumption of the exhumation will be communicated,” she said.
Currently, the Kenya Defense Forces were on the ground opening up access roads within the 840-acre land so as to make the forest accessible.
The area has been cordoned off and declared a disturbed.
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.
[inline_related_posts title=”You Might Be Interested In” title_align=”left” style=”list” number=”4″ align=”none” ids=”” by=”categories” orderby=”rand” order=”DESC” hide_thumb=”no” thumb_right=”no” views=”no” date=”yes” grid_columns=”2″ post_type=”” tax=””]
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”.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, who recently visited the region to oversee the resumption of exhumations, described the Shakahola deaths as a highly organized crime.
“I am afraid we have a lot of graves, “Prof Kindiki said.
“The damage is quite extensive.
The process is far from over.”
The CS also revealed that detectives were zeroing in on Mackenzie’s co-conspirators.
