Manhunt Launched For Rogue Pastor Duping 4 People To Fast To Death

Police on Thursday, April 13 recovered the bodies of four people and rescued 11 others from a controversial fasting event at Shakahola village, Magarini constituency in Kilifi County.

A police report on Friday, April 14 placed zealot pastor Paul Makenzie 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.

The 11 were part of 15 people who were found participating in the excessive practice, at Shakahola forest in Langobaya when detectives acted on a tip-off from a concerned resident who reported the matter at Langobaya Police Station.

"He further alleged that there is a mass shallow grave of victims of that brainwashing totalling 31 bodies in an unidentified place at Shakahola Forest within Langobaya in Malindi sub-county," the police report indicated in part.

"A contingent under the command of SCPC and SCCIO Malindi visited the scene for fact-finding. The team was able to reach a few households and managed to rescue fifteen people among them six who were emaciated."

The 11 rescued victims were admitted to Malindi sub-county hospital while the three are in critical condition. The deceased's particulars were yet to be established but elimination fingerprints were taken for identification.

Those admitted were Allan Obiero aged 17 years from Majengo in Kisumu, Wycliffe Waimoi aged 43 years from Kisumu West, Paul Karisa Katana from Bamba in Kilifi, Jane Nyambura aged 38 years from Vihiga and Mercy Aoko aged 35 years from Kisumu,

Others include Felix Wandera aged 37 years from Busia, David Abuhaya aged 49 years from Vihiga, Collins Kabaye aged 22 years from Mbale, Monica Masika aged 36 years from Kakamega, Alfred Shitemi aged 32 years from Vihiga and an unknown female adult under critical condition.

The bodies of the deceased persons were also taken to the facility's mortuary pending identification and post-mortem.

Police were however unable to verify the existence of the mass grave owing to the forest's vastness and hostile residents. It was further suspected that there were many victims in the forest land believed to belong to the suspect.

Some of the victims told police that while in the forest both children and adults were subjected to strict rules and practices that compromise their health.

Nthenge became a person of interest in late March after he was linked to the deaths of two children who were allegedly starved to death by their parents believed to have been acting on advice from the extremist spiritual leader.

Human rights activists also demanded the immediate arrest of the man of God behind the bizarre rituals.

"We cannot just sit and watch as innocent Kenyans suffer in the hands of a religious leader who claims to be a man of God. We demand his immediate arrest," stated Mathias Shipeta, a Human Rights activist.

''National and Kilifi County governments should take immediate measures against the suspect to save the people because the right to life must be protected,'' another local pastor added. 

Police have since launched an investigation and a manhunt for the rogue pastor who was freed on a Ksh100,000 bond in March.

Arabuko Sokoke forest in Kilifi County. /FACEBOOK.KENYA FOREST SERVICE