Friday, May 5, 2023 –Embattled Kilifi Pastor Ezekiel Odero has moved to court to block his wealth from government interference.
The founder, New Life Church, Mavueni, has moved to court to protest authorities from freezing his eight bank accounts that are owned by his church, with lenders including both NCBA and Cooperative Bank.
He has also instructed his lawyers Danstan Omari and counterpart Cliff Ombeta to seek orders of reopening his ministry’s television channel which broadcasts his programmes.
The popular televangelist, in a nutshell, want his activities fully operational even as the case and investigations take shape.
As of now, Odero’s multimillion church which was recently shut down sits on a 65-acre piece of land in Kilifi, as the centrepiece of a city project being undertaken by Odero. The New Life Church has a capacity of over 40,000 congregants.
A court in Mombasa certified as urgent the application by Mr. Odero for the State to reopen his Church and for the Communications Authority of Kenya CA to restore broadcast licence by his television channel.
Pending the hearing and determination of his application, Odero wants the court to issue a conservatory order directing the State to refrain from interfering with the religious activities or prayer sessions in his church.
Additionally, the Pastor wants temporary conservatory orders issued staying the Communication Authority of Kenya’s suspension of his television channel.
Coast Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha, during the arrest of the Ezekiel, highlighted allegations of deaths occurring at his church.
Detectives also claimed Ezekiel conspired with Paul Mackenzie to have bodies of some individuals who died in his church, secretly buried at Mackenzie’s Shakakhola Farm.
Director-General Ezra Chiloba had confirmed the CA decision to suspend broadcasting by World Evangelism TV and Times TV, all linked to televangelist Odero and Paul Mackenzie, respectively.
Paul Mackenzie, a pastor with radical teachings, was a few weeks ago, arrested after over 103 bodies were found buried on his forest land in Kilifi, with allegations that he led a cult in which members starved to death as some were murdered in the process.
Chiloba explained that the two suspended stations were found to have aired inappropriate content on exorcism during the watershed period. CA noted that World Evangelism committed 12 other violations while Times TV flouted 17 broadcasting license conditions.
