Kenyan cult deaths at 73, President likens them to terrorism

Kenya’s president says the starvation deaths of dozens of followers of a pastor are akin to the results of terrorist acts, as the new death toll has rises to 73

Kenyan President William Ruto on April 24 compared the dozens of starvation deaths among the followers of a pastor in the south of the country with the results of terrorist acts, as the new death toll rose to 73.

He maintained that the pastor, Paul Makenzi, who is in police custody, should be in prison.

“What we are seeing ... is akin to terrorism," Mr. Ruto said. "Mr. Makenzi ... pretends and postures as a pastor when in fact he is a terrible criminal.”

Makenzi was arrested on suspicion of telling his followers to fast to death in order to meet Jesus. A group of emaciated people were rescued alive, but some of them later died. Authorities then turned their attention to dozens of shallow graves marked with crosses on Makenzi's 800-acre ranch.

The total death toll now stands at 73, with 26 new bodies exhumed on Monday, Malindi sub-county police chief John Kemboi told the Associated Press.

Kemboi said investigators had received reinforcements and were able to cover more ground.

The Kenyan Red Cross Society on Sunday said 112 people had been reported missing at a tracing desk set up at Malindi, where the pastor’s main church was located.