Pastor Ezekiel Released

Pastor Ezekiel Odero of New International Life Church, Kilifi has been released.

The televangelist was set free on a Ksh1.5 million cash bail or a Ksh3 million bond on Thursday, May 4.

Pastor Ezekiel was however barred by a court from making comments in public about the Shakahola Massacre amidst ongoing investigations.

He was also ordered to report to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) once a week.

Shanzu court Senior Principal Magistrate Joe Omindo had ruled that the state did not provide sufficient reasons for an extension of the custodial days.

"Parties will be at liberty to apply for the closure of this file once the investigations are complete," the judge ruled.

The government failed to press charges against the pastor who was presented before Shanzu Law Courts.

Police had requested the court to detain him for 30 days, but Omindo declined the request.

“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.

Pastor Ezekiel had also sought court orders to have the government restrained from freezing 16 bank accounts under his possession and filed an application seeking the State to reopen his church as well as his TV channel that was shut down by the Communications Authority (CA).

“In the interim and pending the hearing and determination of this application, this honourable court be pleased to issue a conservatory order temporarily restraining the respondents from taking adverse action against Odero or New Life Prayer Center and Church including the freezing of the church accounts in two local banks," the court papers read in part.

The Mombasa High Court on Wednesday, May 3 directed the National Police Service (NPS) to open the church immediately without further delay.