Pastor Ezekiel Sues Govt Over Closure Of Church, TV Station

Pastor Ezekiel accused the State of violating Article 47 of the Constitution as read in conjunction with Section 4 of the Fair Administrative Actions Act 2015

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May 8, 2023 - 09:50
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Pastor Ezekiel Sues Govt Over Closure Of Church, TV Station
Pastor Ezekiel ministering at Kasarani stadium on November 27, 2022. /TWITTER

Pastor Ezekiel Odero on Monday, May 8 petitioned the court to issue conservatory orders to reopen the New Life Prayer Centre and Church, as well as his TV station World Evangelism TV.

According to court documents as reported by Citizen Digital, the televangelist who is under investigation over the Shakahola massacre, alleged that the move to shut down his church and TV station was done illegally.

Pastor Ezekiel accused the State of violating Article 47 of the Constitution as read in conjunction with Section 4 of the Fair Administrative Actions Act 2015, further claiming that both entities were shut down before he was charged in court.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga touring Pastor Ezekiel Odero's home in Kilifi County alongside the televangelist, lawyer Cliff Ombeta and other Azimio politicians on May 6, 2023. /CLIFF OMBETA

"The above twin pronouncements by the state were made without any notice and factual basis and reactionary whose impact has resulted to halting access to worship by members and congregants of New Life Prayer center who continue to act on the public pronouncement to avoid and refrain from the church premises for daily prayers and spiritual nourishment," Pastor Ezekiel revealed in the petition.

The petition named the Attorney General, the Inspector General of Police, and five others as respondents.

The pastor further claimed that the Shakahola mass graves site whereby 112 bodies have been exhumed so far, is 200 kilometres from his New Life Church in Kilifi County.

He also termed the allegations levelled against him as devoid of any factual justification as the conclusions are based on premeditated events and investigations that have yet to be initiated or conducted.

Pastor Ezekiel added that shortly after his arrest, he received a letter from, Ezra Chiloba the Director General & CEO of the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), communicating the authorities’ decision to temporarily suspend the operations/frequency of World Evangelism TV. 

CA had found that the station had violated broadcasting standards requirements and conditions issued to it before it acquired its license and directed for its suspension with immediate effect, alongside Times TV, registered under Good News Media Kenya Limited, associated with Pastor Paul Mackenzie.

"Following an extensive review of content aired by the two stations between January – April 2023, the Authority established that the TV stations violated broadcasting standards requirements and license conditions.

"World Evangelism TV was found to have aired inappropriate content on exorcism during the watershed period as well as 12 other violations. Similarly, Times TV aired inappropriate content on exorcism and flouted 17 other broadcasting license conditions," CA stated in part.

The Authority further directed the broadcast signal distributor, Pan African Network Group (PANG) Limited, to cease carrying the two stations on its platform until further notice.

Pastor Ezekiel on Sunday, May 7 made his comeback to the pulpit days after his release on a Ksh1.5 million cash bail or a Ksh3 million bond on Thursday, May 4.

His lawyers Danstan Omari and Cliff Ombeta urged police officers who had barricaded the roads leading to the church to allow worshippers access the church. According to Omari, despite a verbal order to close down the church, no written order had been served to the preacher. 

Omari wrote to Inspector General of Police (IG) Japhet Koome lamenting that the televangelist lost Ksh20 million owing to the closure of his church, inclusive of a loss of tithe and offerings worth an estimated Ksh17 million. 

In a breakdown of the losses incurred by the pastor, Omari listed accommodation charges at Ksh2 million and wasted food worth Ksh500,000. 

"You are put to notice that as an effect of your officers barricading the road leading to the church and the rest of the church compound, about 2,500 workers that were reasonably expected to access the compound to continue with the construction works that are evident in the compound, the time frames within which the various projects were expected to end will undoubtedly be affected," read part of Omari's letter to IG Koome.

Pastor Ezekiel Odero (in white robe) in the dock on April 28, 2023. /NATION BREAKING NEWS

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