2 Dead As Police Rescue 57 'Weak & Frail' People From Church

Two people have been confirmed dead, while 57 others were rescued by police from the St. Joseph Mission of Africa Church in Kochola Village, Migori County.

According to a report from Kamagambo Police Station obtained by Viral Tea, the Rongo sub-county security and intelligence team discovered one of the bodies on Sunday, April 20, lying on the floor of a prayer room inside the church.

Police reported that the first body was discovered dressed in a white robe and covered with a grey sheet, showing facial injuries and foam coming from the mouth. A second body was later found elsewhere on the church grounds, the same day.

Both bodies were transferred to Rosewood Mortuary, where autopsies are expected to be conducted.

Photo of a church in sunset. /ADOBE STOCK

"The scene was processed, and necessary action was taken. The body was removed to Rosewood Mortuary pending postmortem," the report stated.

During the scrutiny process of the church premises by police, 57 people residing within the church, between the ages of 5 and 77, were rescued, however, police described them as weak and frail.

Police stated that after being taken to Rongo Sub-county Hospital for medical evaluation, the rescued individuals refused treatment and broke into religious songs. Due to concerns raised by medical staff, they were later transferred to the Kamagambo Police Station.

"When they persisted, the medical officers advised that the group should be removed from the hospital since they were disturbing the other patients at the facility. They were taken to the station to await further directives," added the report.

The operation began after the Assistant Chief of Kanyadiedo sub-location alerted authorities about suspicious activities taking place at the church.

This incident bears similarities to the Shakahola massacre, which began on April 13, 2023, with reports that police had recovered the bodies of four people, with 11 others rescued from a controversial fasting event at Shakahola village, Magarini constituency in Kilifi County.

A police report on April 14, 2023, placed zealot pastor Paul Mackenzie Nthenge of the Good News International Church at the centre of the fasting programme and was further accused of manipulating his faithful into fasting to death. What followed was the unearthing of shallow graves and the rescue of survivors, sparking a global humanitarian crisis.

On April 11, 2025, the Court of Appeal in Malindi gave the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) the go-ahead to pursue 191 counts of murder against Mackenzie and 30 co-accused individuals linked to the Shakahola massacre between January 2021 and September 2023.