47 plus Christians die while fasting to meet Jesus: 18 more bodies exhumed

Forty-seven (47) die ‘fasting to meet Jesus’? Christianity demands that Christians fast and pray, however, the Bible also states that “For the lack of knowledge, my people perish” Hosea 4:6.

Could this be the reason why four Christians died after fasting with the intention of meeting Jesus? Did their intention to meet Jesus mean fasting until death? These are the questions that have shaken the Christian community after the death of the four faithful.

The sad story took place in Kenya’s coastal Kilifi county.

The latest update shows that at least 47 plus Christians have died while fasting to meet Jesus. Today Sunday 23rd April, following the rescue and exhumation of bodies. A report sighted by GhanaEducation.org shows that 18 new bodies have been exhumed in shallow mass graves in the location where the Christians had gathered to pray and fast many days ago.

According to the report, 8 of the faithful Christians buried by the rescue team were found before being buried. The body count by the end of Sunday 23rd April stood at 47.

The bodies of a further 26 suspected cult members were found by police in Kenya on Sunday, on land owned by a pastor who was arrested for allegedly telling his followers to fast to death in order to “meet Jesus”.

The latest discovery brings the number of discovered corpses linked to the movement up to 47.

“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 the coastal town of 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.

The investigation follows last month’s arrest of Makenzie Nthenge, the leader of the Good News International Church who turned himself into police after two children starved to death in the custody of their parents, according to local media.

Nthenge was later released on bail of 100,000 Kenyan shillings (€637).

Police have asked a court for permission to hold the pastor in custody while investigations into the deaths of his followers continue.

READ: Ladies First: Accurate history, facts, myths and what you never knew about the statement

However, many more graves are yet to be dug up and so the number of bodies is expected to go further up.

Besides the exhumation exercise, today at least three persons were rescued, but they refused first aid and insisted they should be allowed to continue their fast to death.

At this juncture, the government seeks to improve the search and to deploy more officers to aid in the rescue mission as many now are feared to be hastening the fast to death.

#Today Sunday 23rd April, I was in Shakahola, Malindi today again following up on the rescue and exhumation of bodies. Today the @DCI exhumed 18 more bodies in shallow mass graves bringing the total of those exhumed so far to 39. Adding plus the 8 that were found before being… pic.twitter.com/HUigwzmmVH

— husseinkhalid (@husskhalid) April 23, 2023