A suspected Christian cult in Kenya has cost dozens of people their lives after they starved themselves to death on the orders of their preacher, who instructed them to fast to death.

Kenyan police have since recovered 58 bodies, mostly from mass graves in a forest in eastern Kenya, thought to be followers of a Christian cult who believed they would go to heaven if they starved themselves, the country’s police chief said on Monday (April 24).

The death toll, which continues to rise as exhumations are carried out, could increase further.

Followers of the self-proclaimed Good News International Church had been living in several secluded settlements in an 800-acre (324-hectare) area within the Shakahola Forest.

Kenya’s police chief Japhet Koome said the deceased included 50 people found in mass graves as well as eight who were found alive and emaciated but later died.

He added that 29 survivors had been rescued and police were still searching for potential others.

“Forensic investigators, homicide detectives, other police officers as well as some government pathologists are here with us conducting investigations and carrying out exhumations,” said Koome.

The cult’s leader, Paul Mackenzie, was arrested on April 14 following a tip-off that suggested the existence of shallow graves containing the bodies of at least 31 of his followers.

Koome said an additional14 cult members were in police custody.

Mackenzie was arraigned on April 15 at Malindi Law Courts, where the judge gave police 14 days to conduct investigations while he was kept in detention.

Kenyan media have reported that he is refusing food and water. There has been no comment from any representative for Mackenzie so far.

President William Ruto said Mackenzie’s teachings were contrary to any authentic religion.

“Mr Mackenzie … pretends and postures as a pastor when in fact he is a terrible criminal,” said Ruto, who was delivering a speech at an unrelated public event just outside Nairobi.

He said he had instructed relevant agencies to get to the root cause of what had happened and to tackle “people who want to use religion to advance weird, unacceptable ideology in the Republic of Kenya that is causing unnecessary loss of life.”

Mackenzie had been arrested twice before, in 2019 and in March of this year, concerning the deaths of children.

On each occasion, he was released on bond, and both cases are still proceeding through the court.