Following the unfortunate deaths of four members of a religious cult who died from hunger in a wilderness, Kenyan police have detained the group's head. The deaths occurred in the Shakahola forest close to the Malindi district in southeastern Kenya, and the cult leader, Makenzie Nthenge, allegedly told his members to fast to "meet Jesus."
Nthenge, the pastor of the Good News International Church, was reportedly detained over the weekend, according to The Standard. The discovery of a mass grave gives worries to the police, for they are suspecting that more members have fallen victim to the dangerous ritual.
Fasting Ritual Led to the Death of 4 Individuals
Eleven other followers have been rushed to the hospital, and two of them are in critical condition. These additional victims are said to have fasted together with the four individuals reported to have lost their lives. In the story shared by The Christian Post, Nthenge is summoned and scheduled to appear in court this coming Monday to face the charges in relation to the tragic incidents.
Seven men and four women, with ages ranging from 17 to 49, make up the 11 hospitalized victims. Two of them were still receiving medical care as of early Saturday. Authorities believe that additional followers may be interred there after finding a possible mass burial. Therefore they will continue their search in the Shakahola forest.
The Langobaya police station was notified about the starvation deaths of two kids under their parents' care last month, which led to Nthenge's arrest. Nthenge was detained and accused of being involved in those fatalities, but he was eventually freed on bond after posting 100,000 Kenyan shillings, or about $700.
Another source says that the authorities in Kenya are looking into a mass burial that may contain further cult members in the Shakahola forest. According to the NDTV, the police could not conduct any other activity at the mass grave due to the hostile residents in the forest believed to be the suspect's followers. As per a police report, it has been mentioned that uninformed citizens are pretending to fast to meet Jesus and, as a result, are dying of starvation.
Nthenge is currently out on bail after being charged last month in connection with the deaths of two children whose parents are among his followers. Nthenge allegedly told the parents that their children's deaths would make them "heroes" and buried the infants in a shallow grave. The 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom states that Christianity is the predominant religion in Kenya, with approximately 85.5% of the population adhering to the faith in 2019.
Also Read: Terrorists in Nigeria Killed Rev. Musa Mairimi of Evangelical Church Winning All, Wife Kidnapped
Related Cases Involving Rituals and Beliefs Endangering Lives
In July of last year, Nigerian police released and freed 77 people from abandoned, including 23 children, who were being kept captive in a church basement by pastors who professed to be looking forward to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
According to BBC, members were urged to stay in the church till the rapture by the Whole Bible Believer Church in Ondo town. Pastor Josiah Peter Asumosa first foresaw the event in April; he later revised his prediction to September 2022 and told the young members to listen to their "parents in the Lord."
Related Article: Nigeria Witnesses Tragic Loss of 50,000 Christians in 14-Year Religious Conflict
