Kenyan President William Ruto has said his government takes responsibility for the deaths of more than 200 members of a Christian cult who starved themselves. Kenyan investigators have accused preacher Paul Mackenzie of instructing his followers not to eat so they could meet Jesus. Ruto on Sunday said officials in Kenya's coastal county of Kilifi must explain how so many people died without their knowledge.

The Kenyan government admits state officers in Kilifi County failed to protect the followers of Good News International Church from starving to death.

In a joint interview with Kenyan news media on Sunday, President William Ruto took responsibility for the government's failure to prevent the tragic deaths.

“I am taking responsibility that as president, this should not have happened. And certainly, some people who are responsible for this failure on the part of the government will have to give an account, because it should not have happened when we have all the agencies,” he said.

The leader of Good News International Church, Pastor Paul Mackenzie, is currently detained in Mombasa, facing charges of preaching dangerous beliefs that led to the deaths of his followers.

He is yet to comment on the allegations against him and has not entered a plea to any criminal charge.

Kenyan authorities say more than 200 bodies have been exhumed in Shakahola forest in Kilifi County, where the church's followers met their deaths. Postmortem examinations showed that some of the victims died of hunger, while others were killed by strangulation or suffocation, and some had injuries to the head.

Francis Wanje rescued one of his three grandchildren in March. He said the government officers in the area failed the community.

"Some of us went to the high offices, and they started taking action one month after the first report was done at the police station. So, there were quite a number of things that were happening, a lot of laxity. I don't know if there was corruption or whatever. If the people in charge would have gone faster after our reports that's on the 17th, then I think they could have saved many lives,” said Wanje.

Mackenzie was arrested on March 14 after police raided his church. Investigators are charging the pastor with radicalization and terrorism.

The local community and family members have accused some government officers of failing to stop rogue preachers teaching harmful beliefs to their followers.

Ruto pledged to address the issue without tramping on freedom of religion.

“The promise I am giving to the people of Kenya is that we will get to the bottom of this matter, and I am also giving them my commitment. I know they are people who are jittery that we should not regulate the church. And that's correct — we should not regulate the church. … We want to establish from our religious leaders how we can, as religious leaders, agree on a mechanism that makes sure that criminals and crooks do not take advantage of religion,” he said.

Local human rights activist Mvera Kazungu calls for justice not only for the perpetrators but also for the government officers who neglected their duty to protect the community.

“When we say justice must be done or will be done, it doesn't start with the culprit himself but even those who were supposed to ensure that the community members, the locals, and the children are protected and safe from harm. I really hope justice will be done and really hope that whatever the president was saying will be implemented,” said Kazungu.

A commission of inquiry was established by Ruto to investigate the deaths in Kilifi County, while another team was formed to examine the activities of religious institutions. (VOA)

•PHOTO: Forensic experts and homicide detectives carry the bodies of suspected members of a Christian cult named Good News International Church after their remains were exhumed from their graves in Shakahola forest of Kilifi county, Kenya, April 22, 2023.

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