The total number of bodies exhumed from mass graves in Kenya’s coast has reached 235 after the remains of eight more people were retrieved on Thursday.

It is alleged the victims, whose bodies were recovered from Shakahola forest in Kilifi County, died after being ordered by local pastor, Paul Mackenzie, to starve so that they “meet Jesus” in the afterlife.

The government announced on Thursday that it was suspending the exhumation exercise to allow for postmortem to be conducted on 123 bodies.

The autopsies will be done from May 24 at the Malindi Sub-County Hospital in Kilifi.

So far, 89 people have been rescued from the forest, and 31 arrests made.

Mackenzie, the founder of Good News International Church, and his wife are among those in custody.

The Kenyan government said it would press charges of murder and terrorism against Mackenzie and his accomplices after completion of investigations.

Postmortem done on some of the victims indicated that they died of starvation and strangulation.