Kenyan authorities on Tuesday raised to 75 the number of bodies found in mass graves on land used by a Christian sect in the north of the country, bringing to more than 80 the number of deaths caused by the activities of this group, led by Paul Mackenzie.
According to information gathered by the Kenyan newspaper ‘The Nation’, during the last hours ten other bodies have been found in several graves on the land, located in a wooded area in Shakahola, in Kilifi County.
These dead are added to the eight corpses found about two weeks ago during a raid on the activities of this sect, whose leader asked his followers to fast until death to »find Jesus Christ».
Likewise, the Kenya Red Cross has begun work to try to locate more than 210 people – among them 112 minors – who have been reported missing in the framework of the investigations into this sect, as reported by the newspaper ‘The Star’.
Mackenzie, arrested on April 14 after the existence of mass graves in the area was confirmed, is being held with 13 other people ahead of a hearing to be held on May 2. The prosecution has asked for time to complete the investigation.
Kenyan President William Ruto said on Monday that what he saw on the sect’s grounds is »akin to terrorism». »Mackenzie, who acts as a pastor, is in fact a terrible criminal,» he said, before specifying that »terrorists use religion to promote their heinous acts.»
For his part, Kenyan Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki, who will visit the area on Tuesday, has opened the door to greater regulation of places of worship in the country following the discovery of the mass graves in Kifili.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
