Police are holding a man suspected to be a co-mastermind and the lead clergy attached to cult leader Paul Mackenzie.
The suspected mastermind, who identified himself as “Pastor Zablon Wa Yesu”, was found while reading a Bible on a section of the expansive 800-acre land owned by the cult leader.
Police also rescued nine people from death by starvation on Monday. Five of the rescued people were in critical condition and have been rushed to hospital.
The suspected mastermind, however, was not fasting. He said he was waiting until June so that he would start fasting along with some other men from the Good News International Church.
Authorities also confirmed finding 7 bodies in one grave on Monday, the highest from one site since the operation to exhume victims began last week.
Several government officials trooped to Shakahola village today including Inspector-General of Police Japhet Koome, Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Amin Mohammed and DPP Noordin Haji.
Earlier, IG Koome updated the tally of bodies exhumed to 50 after 11 more bodies were found today.
President William Ruto also spoke for the first time on the matter today saying that the Shakahola cult leader belongs in prison as “what is being witnessed in Shakahola is akin to terrorism”.
The President spoke shortly after the police revised the body count from mass graves in the village in Kilifi County upwards to 50.
“Mr Mackenzie, who acts as a pastor, is in fact a terrible criminal. Terrorists use religion to advance their heinous acts. People like Mackenzie are using religion to do exactly the same thing,” the Head of State said, adding that the cult leader and others like him should be in jail.
