AFRICA ( Commonwealth Union) _ Shocking revelation of a starvation cult leader in Kenya employing gangs to kill followers who took too long to die has brought attention to a deeply disturbing and tragic phenomenon. Cults, with their manipulative tactics and dangerous ideologies, can exert a powerful influence over vulnerable individuals seeking solace or answers.
The reported use of violence to expedite the death of followers adds another chilling dimension to this distressing scenario. This incident raises urgent questions about the prevalence of cults, the dangers they pose to society, and the need for robust measures to protect individuals from falling victim to such manipulative and destructive forces.
Kenya’s Interior Minister, Kithure Kindiki, revealed that Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, a former taxi driver turned preacher, employed armed gangs to carry out killings on his followers who did not succumb to death quickly enough or changed their minds during a “fast to death” ritual aimed at meeting Jesus. Kindiki shared this information with a Senate ad hoc committee investigating the proliferation of religious organizations in the country.
The armed gangs constructed structures near burial sites where they had access to well-balanced meals while monitoring the followers who were starving themselves to death. The recent discovery of mass graves, known as the “Shakahola forest massacre,” has shocked the nation.
Authorities suspect that the majority of the bodies belong to Mackenzie’s followers, whom he allegedly incited to starve themselves. While starvation appears to be the primary cause of death, some victims, including children, showed signs of strangulation, beatings, or suffocation, as confirmed by government pathologist Johansen Oduor. Court documents indicate that some of the corpses had organs removed, suggesting forced organ harvesting by the suspects involved.
Chief Inspector Martin Munene filed an affidavit stating that post-mortem reports have identified missing organs in exhumed bodies. He further hinted at the coordinated trafficking of human organs involving multiple individuals but did not provide specific details.
