Self-proclaimed preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, who allegedly convinced his followers to starve themselves to death in order to "meet Jesus," used armed gangs to kill followers who didn't die fast enough in the Shakahola forest in south-eastern Kenya, Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki told parliament on Friday.
Along with those who changed their minds and wanted to break their fast, they were beaten with blunt objects by the armed gang, Kindiki told the Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee on the Proliferation of Religious Organizations, which is investigating the so-called Shakahola Forest massacre.
The minister reported that the cult leader and former taxi driver built structures at burial sites where his followers were dying of starvation, serving well-balanced meals to those guarding over them.
On April 14, 50-year-old Mackenzie turned himself in after police first entered Shakahola forest. He was charged with terrorism.
Another prominent pastor, Ezekiel Odero, was also arrested in connection with Mackenzie's starvation cult. A Nairobi court ordered authorities to freeze more than 20 of Odero's bank accounts, but Odero was later released on bail, while Mackenzie is still in police custody.
While starvation appears to be the main cause of death, some of the victims, including children, were strangled, beaten or suffocated, according to the Kenyan government's chief pathologist, Johansen Oduor. In addition, court documents revealed that some of the bodies had had their organs removed, with police alleging that the suspects were involved in the forced harvesting of body parts.
"Post-mortem reports have established missing organs in some of the bodies of victims who have been exhumed," Chief Inspector Martin Munene told the court.