Police in Kenya said that fifteen “radicalized” Kenyan Christians were rescued from a fast they had begun after being persuaded they were heading to meet their maker on Friday, but four of them had died.
According to the authorities, all 15 were part of the Good News International Church located in the coastal county of Kilifi.
According to the police investigation, “four of the victims died in the process of rescue.”
Malindi sub- county’s chief investigator of crime, Charles Kamau, stated the 15 had been radicalized.
He remarked on Citizen Television, “They starved because a certain member of a church radicalized them by telling them that their work in this world was done and they were waiting to die and see their creator.”
There have been isolated instances in which pastors mislead their congregations of Christians.
David Mang’ong’o, medical superintendent at Malindi sub-district hospital, said most of the malnourished survivors had been stabilized after being sent to the hospital in serious condition.
According to the story, police were looking into allegations of further casualties.
A member of the church who had been detained in connection with the deaths of two boys in the neighborhood a month earlier was held responsible for the excessive fasting that followed. Makenzie Nthenge is his given name.
It was unclear whether or not Nthenge had been detained again. There was no response from Nthenge.
According to an affidavit filed by authorities on March 23, it was Nthenge’s recommendation that the parents starve and suffocate their two sons to death.
Affidavit: “having caused many people to lose their lives with (the) pretense that they were going to heaven (if) they die through starvation,” which is why police want Nthenge detained until his trial.
The Standard newspaper said that during a court appearance in that case, Nthenge claimed he was uninformed of the circumstances leading up to the deaths of the two boys and that he was the subject of negative propaganda from some of his former colleagues.
After posting bail, the court let him go.
