Deadly cult: Detectives find 24 graves linked to Mackenzie's church

All the homes near Makenzie's home were deserted. In one homestead, the police found an identification card belonging to a Ugandan who they believe was a member of the cult.

"We found South Sudan currency and a Ugandan ID belonging to Alice Khaif. It proves what we suspected that there are foreigners in the cult, "said Kamau in an interview.

He said the police could not ascertain if the Ugandan was alive or dead until a postmortem has been conducted on the bodies in the mortuary or those to be exhumed.

The homicide team led by Martin Nyuguto is expected to comb the dusty village until Monday when Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor is expected to arrive at the site to witness the exhumation.

Jeniffer Mumbi from central Kenya and her daughter who were rescued on Thursday cursed the police and the government for the arrest of Makenzie they said he was a "holy man of god."

"You will never know peace because you are disturbing our prayer session," said Mumbi as she was dragged to the waiting police vehicle.

Last week, police retrieved the bodies of four people they believe died of starvation after the self-proclaimed spiritual leader told them to fast until they "met Jesus Christ."

This took the death toll of the parishioners of Makenzie's Good News International Church to six following the death of two children in mid-March. Police link Makenzie to the six deaths.

Some 17 severely malnourished converts police say had been brainwashed by Makenzie to starve to death, ostensibly to seek martyrdom have so far been rescued from their homes and the forest.

On Monday, Malindi Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Usui cancelled an Sh10,000 police bond granted to Makenzi in March by Senior Principal Magistrate Olga Onalo.

Paul Makenzi's emaciated followers at a hospital after being rescued. Locals said at least 32 people have died since March. [Nehemiah Okwembah, Standard]

Makenzi, who worked as a taxi driver in Malindi from 1997 to 2003, was charged four times for his incendiary sermons but acquitted each time due to a lack of evidence.

He was arrested in 2017 alongside 35 primary, secondary, and university students whom police said he had persuaded to discontinue their studies because it was ungodly.

In 2019, Makenzi and his late wife Joyce Mwikamba were charged with incitement. That year, Makenzi closed his church and his TV channel, "Star," and relocated to Shakahola to farm on his 10-acre plot.

After he relocated, the majority of his followers followed him to the dusty village. One of his pastors established a church in Magirime but it was closed down by the police.

In a recent interview, Makenzi denied having a church in Shakahola where people were allegedly starved to death.

The state accuses Makenzi of manipulating locals through distorted extreme religious doctrines and fear of the unknown in the pursuit of salvation, which has resulted in the deaths of many people.