April 27, 2023

The leader of a Kenyan cult told his followers the world would end on April 15 and instructed them to starve themselves to be the first to go to heaven, a relative of cult members and hospital staff told Reuters on Wednesday.

he deaths amount to one of the worst cult-related tragedies in recent history and the toll is expected to rise further, with the Kenyan Red Cross saying more than 300 people have been reported as missing.

Cult leader Paul Mackenzie has been in police custody since April 14, held alongside 14 other cult members. Kenyan media have reported that he is refusing food and water.

“He told them to starve themselves ahead of the world’s end on April 15, saying he would be that last one and that he would lock the doors,” said Stephen Mwiti, whose wife and six children joined the cult and are feared dead.

Mwiti said he had heard this from a former cult member who had been expelled for drinking water during the mass fast. Hospital staff in the coastal town of Malindi, where corpses and survivors are being taken, said they had heard the same account from survivors. headtopics.com

“He (Mackenzie) had an elaborate plan of killing children, youths and then adults, telling them he would be the last one to starve himself to death,” said one of the hospital staff, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

REUTERS