Death toll from Kenya starvation cult rises to 150 as more bodies unearthed

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - The death toll in Kenya from a suspected starvation cult rose to 150 Thursday as more bodies were exhumed, police said.

Five additional bodies were unearthed in Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County, intensifying an ongoing investigation into the starvation cult led by preacher Paul Mackenzie.

Coast Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha released a report Thursday to the media revealing the somber findings.

Onyancha said that 594 individuals who are suspected cult members have been reported missing by their families while 25 arrests have been made.

DNA samples have been collected from 93 families as the search and exhumations continue in Shakahola Forest.

Efforts to uncover the truth behind the cult's activities and the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain ongoing.

The exhumations had been halted due to bad weather but resumed after several days.

A police investigation that started in mid-April has so far revealed that some of the victims had their organs missing, which has led to suspicions of trafficking in human organs.

Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki described the Shakahola cult deaths as a highly organized crime, saying the mass graves were too many.