Some Shakahola victims were foreigners, Kindiki reveals

Some of the victims of the "Shakahola massacre" were foreigners from neighbouring countries, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has said.

Appearing before the Ad hoc Committee on the Proliferation of Religious Organisations on Friday, the CS said preliminary investigations show some of the victims travelled from neighbouring countries.

Kindiki was quick to point out that locals avoided Pastor Paul Mackenzie's church after learning of his wayward ways.

"At the beginning, most of his followers were locals but after learning of his antics, many of them left," he said.

The CS said the majority of his victims were from western, Northern Kenya, Eastern, Nyanza and some parts of Coast.

Some 241 bodies have so far been exhumed from shallow graves in the forest since the horrific cultic occurrences came to light on April 14.

Autopsies on the first 112 bodies showed that most of the victims died of starvation.

Some victims, including children, were strangled, beaten, or suffocated, the head of forensic operations, Johansen Oduor, said two weeks ago.

Police have so far arrested 39 people and rescued 91 others from the forest.