Kenyan authorities have recovered two bodies and rescued 57 individuals from a church in western Kenya, in a case reminiscent of the deadly starvation cult that shocked the nation two years ago.
Police discovered the bodies at St. Joseph Missions of Africa Church in Migori County on Monday, according to an internal report. One of the bodies, a man, was found lying on the floor of a prayer room within the church, fully covered in a white robe and wrapped in a grey sheet, the report said.
The 57 rescued individuals appeared frail and malnourished. They were taken to a nearby hospital but refused medical assistance, instead singing religious songs and making noises, the report added.
This discovery follows the harrowing events of 2023, when over 400 bodies—many of them children—were exhumed from Shakahola forest in eastern Kenya, the site of one of the worst cult-related tragedies in recent history. The cult leader, Paul Mackenzie of the Good News International Church, and his associates were charged with murder, terrorism, manslaughter, and torture for allegedly instructing followers to starve themselves and their children in anticipation of the end of the world.
Mackenzie has denied all charges, and legal proceedings are still ongoing.
