Good morning,
The arrest of controversial Pastor Ezekiel Odero of the New life Prayer Centre and Church has left several high profile personalities who have previously graced his well-attended crusades in an awkward position.
Information has also emerged about his links to Paul Nthenge Mackenzie of Shakahola deaths.
The influential Kilifi-based Pastor Ezekiel, as he is commonly known, was arrested yesterday over reports of “mass killings of his followers” at his New life Prayer Centre and Church at Mavueni area.
Detectives also believe Ezekiel conspired with Mackenzie to have bodies of some of the faithful who died in his church, secretly buried at Shakakhola.
This was after he reportedly fell out with Milele funeral home in Mavueni over storage and preservation fees.
After his arrest, Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said the cleric will face charges linked to alleged mass killing of his followers.
The CS disclosed that Ezekiel’s church had been shut down and that the over 100 people who were at the premises had been “evacuated and will be required to record statements.”
Detectives handling the case said Pastor Ezekiel is linked to indoctrination of the public in relation to his colleague, Pastor Mackenzie, the owner of Shakahola farm in Kilifi where over 100 bodies of his followers believed to have starved to death were recovered.
His arrest and arraignment today raises questions on whether some public figures who have attended his crusades across the country knew the goings-on in the church.
Meanwhile, here are news stories making headlines on Opera News today;
Danstan Omari Sues Kimani Ichungwah for Calling Him Koinange Street Lawyer, Demands KSh 11 Million
Vocal city lawyer Danstan Omari has formally sued Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah for linking him to Koinange Street activities.
The infamous Koinange Street is known for not so good reasons as it is where most Nairobi-based ladies of the night position themselves advancing the world’s oldest profession activities.
Omari had issued a demand letter threatening to sue Ichung’wah over a tweet he made on February 1, 2023 if he did not apologise within seven days.
Jail my son for life if he won’t denounce Shakahola cult, father of Mackenzie’s right-hand man says
The father of controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie’s right-hand man has said that his son should be jailed for life if he continues to follow the Shakahola cult leader.
The septuagenarian from Shirombe village in Butere, Kakamega County, expressed disgust over his last-born son’s strange behaviour that led him to disown his family in 2016.
Cleopha Atanda Lihoywa, who has not heard from his son since abandoning his wife and four children, termed it as blasphemous that his son opted to change his name to “Zablon wa Yesu”.
Uhuru Family Suffers Big Blow A Day After Storming Jubilee Party Headquarters As Treasury Strikes
The Kenyatta family has been dealt a big blow by the National Treasury after it cancelled the 2019 tax exemption it extended to the family-owned Commercial Bank of Africa during its merger with NIC.
In a landmark move by the President William Ruto regime, the National Treasury has directed the taxman, KRA to collect Ksh. 350 million of unpaid tax from the Kenyatta family.
The ruling will no doubt be interpreted to target the former first family amid its bitter fight with the state since Uhuru’s exit from office.