Pastor Ezekiel Odero has been arrested over reported deaths at his New Life Prayer Centre and Church which is located in Kilifi.
While confirming the arrest, police also revealed that the church has been closed down.
“As the reginal security team, we have arrested pastor Ezekiel Ombok Odero of the New Life Prayer Centre and Church at Mavueni in Kilifi county on allegations of the deaths that have been occurring at his premises and reported in various morgues,” Coast Regional Coordinator Rhoda Onyancha said.
“The prayer centre which is located in Kilifi has been closed down and those residing at his residence have been ordered to go home. The sick have been advised to go back to hospital,” Rhoda explained.
This comes hours after the televangelist was summoned from Kilifi alongside his wife and aide by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Mombasa for allegedly advancing cult-like practices.
When asked by journalists if he is linked to his fellow preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie over the Shakahola deaths caused by starvation, Ezekiel declined to comment.
Detectives have been investigating claims that Pastor Ezekiel was pulling critically ill followers from hospital wards to his church purportedly to perform miracles on them in order to heal.
The preacher is accused of ferrying the sick, including those suffering from terminal illnesses, from various hospital wards to perform healing miracles inside his church in Mavueni, Kilifi county.
There are reports that some of the patients could have died as a result of being denied medication as a result of the preacher’s actions.
Detectives have also recorded statements from the management and officials of Milele Funeral, Burial and Benevolent Services in Mbogolo area near the church’s headquarters in Kilifi town to establish how many bodies, if any, it has received from the church.
