Highlights: At least 429 people died a year ago, victims of a preacher who called on his followers to fast to death to “meet Jesus” before the end of the world. On Tuesday, four remains were handed over to a family in the town of Malindi in Kenya. So far, only 34 bodies have been identified and more than 390 remain to be identified. “It’s a relief to finally have the bodies,” said William Ponda, who recovered the remains of his missing mother, brother, sister-in-law and nephew.

In Kenya, it was only on Tuesday March 26 that families were able to collect the remains of their loved ones, who died following a mortal fast. At least 429 people died a year ago, victims…

Deadly fast in Kenya: one year later, the first bodies of the victims handed over to their loved ones

In Kenya, it was only on Tuesday March 26 that families were able to collect the remains of their loved ones, who died following a mortal fast. At least 429 people died a year ago, victims of a preacher who called on his followers to fast to death to “meet Jesus” before the end of the world which he announced for August 2023.

Body bags laid out at the scene where dozens of bodies were found in shallow graves in the village of Shakahola, near the coastal town of Malindi in southern Kenya, Monday, April 24, 2023. AP

By: RFI with AFP

On Tuesday, four remains were handed over to a family in the town of Malindi in

Kenya

, the head of forensic operations, Johansen Oduor, and the director of criminal investigations Martin Nyuguto announced in a statement, indicating that other families were expected this Wednesday and Thursday. So far, only 34 bodies have been identified and more than 390 remain to be identified.

William Ponda, recovered the remains of his missing mother, brother, sister-in-law and nephew. “

It’s a relief to finally have the bodies

,” he told AFP. “

But it’s also sad to see that they are just skeletons

.”

“

No longer eat to the point of death in order to meet Jesus

”, it was by using the great naivety of his flock that Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, a former taxi driver converted into an evangelist pastor, led at least 429 Kenyans to starve to death.

Faithful dead strangled, beaten or suffocated

This deadly fast dubbed the “Shakaola Forest Massacre” was discovered in

April 2023

when Kenyan authorities exhumed hundreds of bodies from a mass grave on the Kenyan coast. All belonged to the International Church of Good News created in 2010 by Paul Mackenzie

However, the faithful of this evangelical sect did not all die due to divine will since the autopsies of the bodies revealed that some of them had perished, strangled, beaten or suffocated. Homicides which resulted in Mackenzie appearing before the Kenyan courts for murder, terrorism and torture of children.

The preacher is being prosecuted for “terrorism” and “assassination” of 191 children, including three infants. He is also accused of “manslaughter”, “torture” and “cruelty” against children. He has pleaded not guilty to all of these charges. And to protest against his detention, he and his co-defendants began a hunger strike.

Deadly fast in Kenya: one year later, the first bodies of the victims handed over to their loved ones

Deadly fast in Kenya: one year later, the first bodies of the victims handed over to their loved ones

Faithful dead strangled, beaten or suffocated

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