Detectives Establish Link Between Pastor Ezekiel Odero's Church & Shakahola
Pastor Ezekiel was arraigned in court in Shanzu on Friday morning, April 28, with police requesting the court to detain him for 30 days.
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Detectives investigating the Shakahola massacre have revealed that they have credible evidence that some people who died at Pastor Ezekiel Odero's church were buried in the piece of land belonging to Kilifi cult leader Paul Mackenzie.
Pastor Ezekiel was arraigned in court in Shanzu on Friday morning, April 28, with police requesting the court to detain him for 30 days.
The detectives, through prosecutors, had established the connection between Pastor Ezekiel's New International Life Church and the 800-acre piece of land in Shakahola belonging to Pastor Mackenzie.
Side-by-side image of Pastor Ezekiel Odero and Paul Mackenzie. /VIRALTEAKE
“He is linked to several occurrence book reports of almost 100 deaths that occurred in the church between 2022 and 2023. These deaths occurred within church precincts,” Senior Prosecution Counsel Jami Yamina told the court.
Detectives also traced Ksh3 million in financial transactions between Pastors Ezekiel and Mackenzie for the purchase of a TV station, with the former confessing to buying the TV station from Mackenzie but said the business transaction should not be linked to the Shakahola deaths.
"The buying of the tv station cannot be connected to the Shakahola killings. If such an analogue were to be sustained, then all of us who have bought second-hand cars would be held responsible for the crimes committed by previous owners, including the fights with their spouses," his lawyer argued in court.
Pastor Ezekiel, who spent the night at the Shanzu police station, was represented by his lawyer Jared Magolo after he was arrested in Mombasa on suspicion of being pastor Mackenzie's accomplice in the Shakahola massacre.
With regard to the deaths at Odero's church in Mavueni, Magolo noted that "People seek spiritual intervention at the last moment when every medical intervention has failed. Now if such a person dies are we supposed to turn to the pastor and blame him for the death?"
Pastor Ezekiel's arrest resulted in divisions among Kenya Kwanza lawmakers, with some legislators allied to the ruling coalition supporting the arrest and arguing that the state should be taking action on churches. Another faction, however, criticised police actions of going after Pastor Ezekiel.
"I don't think it was warranted for police to arrest Pastor Ezekiel Odero.
"One criminal who was running a cult and another one referring to himself as Yesu wa Tongaren cannot be the cause and or result of a blanket condemnation of the church. God will punish us heavily for this," argued Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa.
"It is refreshing that one of the senior Bishops in one of the churches has called for an audit - financial audit of leaders of churches. You can see they are opening the door for us.
"If you do a financial audit, the one who was arrested today, in the name of Ezekiel Odero, if you go to his compound, it is like you are in Los Angeles. This must stop,” stated Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale on the contrary.
Pastor Dorcas Rigathi had defended the church from clampdown and called for the case involving Pastor Mackenzie to be handled separately, echoing Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's declaration, where he opposed the blanket condemnation of religion.
Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kithure Kindiki, confirmed that Pastor Ezekiel would face criminal charges with regard to the mass killing of his followers.
