47 Bodies Of Suspected Cult Members Found In Kenya: Police

Kenyan police said Sunday they had uncovered bodies of another 26 people believed to be members of a cult, bringing to 47 the number of corpses linked to the movement found in three days.

"Today we have exhumed 26 more bodies and this brings the total number of bodies from that place to 47," said the head of criminal investigations in Malindi, eastern Kenya, Charles Kamau.

On Saturday police sources said 21 bodies had been exhumed in Kenya in a probe into a cult whose followers are believed to have starved themselves to death.

Officials had earlier reported seven deaths in connection with the investigation in eastern Kenya following the arrest of Makenzie Nthenge, who reportedly told followers to starve themselves in order to "meet Jesus".

Nthenge, leader of the Good News International Church, turned himself in to police and was charged last month, according to local media, after two children starved to death in the custody of their parents.

He was later released on bail of 100,000 Kenyan shillings ($700).

Police reported his arrest on April 15 after discovering the bodies of four of Nthenge's followers. Kenyan police said on Friday that they had exhumed three other bodies.

Eleven other followers of the church -- the youngest just 17 -- were taken to hospital, three of them in critical condition, after being rescued on April 14.

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