Kenya police exhume three bodies as cult search deepens

As they expanded their investigation, Kenyan police announced on Friday that they had excavated three remains in the country's east, likely to be members of a religious cult who were thought to have starved to death.

Charles Kamau, head of criminal investigations for the Malindi district, stated that neither the identities of the three individuals nor the circumstances surrounding their deaths were known. "The exhumation process is still ongoing and so far we have three bodies," he added.

According to local media, Makenzie Nthenge, the leader of the Good News International Church, surrendered to authorities and was charged last month after two kids died of starvation while in their parents' care.

Later, he was freed on a bail of 700 dollars (100,000 Kenyan shillings).

The bodies of four followers he allegedly instructed to starve themselves to "meet Jesus" were found last Saturday, and the police then announced his arrest.

After being rescued a week ago when the first victims were found in a forest near the eastern coastal town of Malindi, eleven additional church members, the youngest of whom was just 17 years old, were transferred to the hospital, three of whom were in severe condition.

According to Kamau, the most recent victims were also discovered in the Shakahola forest after investigators searched a location suspected to be a common grave.

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