As of Saturday, 21 bodies were exhumed and it was predicted that more would be exhumed this week.
The Kenyan police recently discovered and dug up the bodies of members of a particular church.
They were said to have been following a practice of their church that led them to starve to death.
Kenya is a religious country and there have been previous cases of people being lured into dangerous, unregulated churches or cults.
As the recovery process of the bodies continues, the toll rises.
As of yesterday, April 23, 2023, 21 bodies had been exhumed, and it was predicted that more would be exhumed this week.
So far, the police have discovered 37 bodies more, increasing the toll to 58.
The mass graves are located in the Shakahola forest in eastern Kenya.
More To Be Found
As exhumation containers, the Kenyan Red Cross says the toll could rise even further.
According to the Red Cross, 112 people have been reported missing to a tracing desk it operates.
The leader of the cult, the Good News International Church, Paul Mackenzie, was arrested following a tip-off that suggested the existence of shallow graves containing the bodies of at least 31 of his followers.
See: Fun Moments From Davido’s “Timeless” Concert
Police near the coastal town of Malindi started exhuming bodies on Friday from the Shakahola forest.
Local media, citing police sources, reports that Mackenzie has refused to eat or drink while in police custody.
Also, Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki says the entire 800-acre forest has been sealed off and declared a crime scene.
The minister says this “horrendous blight on our conscience” would be punished with the highest form of punishment.
Furthermore, he suggests a “tighter regulation” for every church, mosque, temple, or synagogue.
