Pastor Ezekiel Odera/Courtesy
As the Shakahola cult tragedy linked to Pastor Paul Mackenzie continue to unravel new mysteries, Pastor Ezekiel Odero of New Life Prayer Centre and Church has been summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation over links with the ongoing cult saga in Kilifi County.
Media sources reported on Tuesday that the televangelist recorded a statement with Kilifi DCI over allegations of indoctrination of the faithful.
“Pastor Ezekiel Odero of New Life Prayer Center and Church today recorded a statement with the police over allegations of indoctrination of the faithful. He recorded the statement with the police,” a source said, as reported by Kenyans.co.ke.
Police visited the Milele Funeral Home in Mavueni in Kilifi County near his church in an attempt to investigate the allegations that the morgue accommodated bodies collected from the cleric’s church.
Milele Funeral Home CEO, Johnson Amani Kea, told the media that he opened up to the police about the number of dead bodies collected from Ezekiel’s church.
“We did not file a complaint. The police are in the process of recording statements on how many bodies we have handled so far from Pastor Ezekiel’s church. We have given our statements to the police with respect to that, as required by law. We have not lodged a complaint against Pastor Ezekiel. Police are just doing their investigations, period,” he said.
Pastor Ezekiel, who could not be reached by phone, is seen in videos accusing the morgue of being situated near a blackspot along the Mombasa-Malindi Road.
“At Mbogolo slope on your way to Mombasa, on your right, there is somewhere written Milele Funeral home. There is no hospital, dispensary, or clinic; it’s just a funeral home. And that area is a black spot,” Ezekiel said, pointing a finger at the facility, accusing it of benefiting from tragedies.
As of today morning, at least 90 bodies of dead followers of Pastor Paul Mackenzie had been exhumed in Shakahola as Kenyans call on regulation of religious activities.
Sam Oduor is the editor-in-chief at the Western Kenya Times who leverages the power of the Internet in telling stories that shape opinions.
