Homicide detectives continued their investigation into the Pastor Paul Mackenzie-led Good News International Church in Shakahola, Malindi, Kilifi County on Friday, exhuming seven bodies from four graves.
The operation brought the total number of graves discovered since the investigation began to 58. The detectives, from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, searched the 800-acre forest where followers of the controversial pastor have been located.
In addition to the seven bodies exhumed, the detectives also found 26 more graves. Among the bodies discovered were those of a woman and a child buried together in an adjacent grave, while the body of a child was found in another grave.
The exhumation exercise is set to continue on Saturday. Several relatives of the church’s followers have been camping in the area in search of their loved ones.
The pastor was arrested over his controversial doctrinal teaching that lured his followers to starve to death in the belief that they would ascend to heaven and meet their creator.
