The Kenyan police have detained another prominent pastor, Ezekiel Odero, as the number of fatalities linked to a cult in the region has risen to 103. According to a statement by Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki, Odero will face criminal charges in relation to the mass killing of his followers and is expected to appear before a court on Friday. The church of Odero, the New Life Prayer Centre Church, has been shut down, and those found inside were ordered out. The police will question Odero overnight before taking him to court.
Odero’s megachurch is located in Malindi County, where another pastor, Paul Mackenzie, is under investigation for directing his followers to fast until death. Mackenzie’s ranch, where the bodies of his followers were exhumed, is located in the same area where he moved in 2019 after closing his church in Malindi. As part of his move, he reportedly sold his TV channel to Odero, who has a popular channel in Kenyan households. People travel from all over the country to attend Odero’s church, and his YouTube channel has over 400,000 subscribers and 70 million views.
Pastor Ezekiel Odero (Via Pastor Ezekiel Odero/Twitter)
Odero’s crusades have in the past been attended by senior politicians, including the wife of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Odero’s rise to prominence in the country has made his arrest a significant development in the growing scandal surrounding the cult.
