Kenyan police have exhumed the bodies of 47 people thought to be followers of a Christian cult who believed they would go to heaven if they starved themselves to death.

Police near the coastal town of Malindi started exhuming bodies on Friday (local time) from the Shakahola forest.

“In total, 47 people have died at the Shakahola forest,” detective Charles Kamau told Reuters on Sunday.

The exhumations were still ongoing, Mr Kamau said.

Earlier in April, police rescued 15 members of the group – worshippers at the Good News International Church – who they said had been told to starve themselves to death.

Four of them died before they reached hospital, police said.

The leader of the church, Paul Mackenzie, was arrested following a tip-off that suggested the existence of shallow graves belonging to at least 31 of Mr Mackenzie’s followers.

Local media, citing police sources, reported that Mr Mackenzie has refused to eat or drink while in police custody.

Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said the entire 320-hectare forest had been sealed off and declared a scene of crime.

“This horrendous blight on our conscience must lead not only to the most severe punishment of the perpetrator[s] of the atrocity on so many innocent souls but tighter regulation [including self-regulation] of every church, mosque, temple or synagogue going forward,” he said.