Kenyan police have arrested a popular televangelist and closed his church in the coast as investigations continue into a religious cult that’s been linked to the deaths of nearly 100 people.
Pastor Ezekiel Odero, who is famed for drawing huge crowds at his functions, was arrested on Thursday hours after the police inspected a funeral home near his New Life International Church in Mavueni, Kilifi county.
The police said they had established that morgue attendants had been collecting bodies at the church premises.
“This morning we have arrested Pastor Ezekiel Odero on allegations of the deaths that have been occurring at his premises,” Coast regional commissioner Rhoda Onyancha told reporters.
The preacher has not responded to the allegations.Police are also investigating his alleged relationship to a cult-like controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, who is said to have told followers to starve themselves in order to “meet Jesus”.
Kenyan authorities have already recovered 95 bodies of people suspected to have died of starvation and buried in shallow graves, at a 800-acre forest near his church in the coast. Many of the victims were children.
The preacher, who is already in custody, has denied wrongdoing.
Source: BBC News
In other news- ZlMURA board member exposes Albert Nyathi
Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (ZIMURA) board member Phillip Chipfumbu and other board members exposed how their chairman Albert Nyathi has been abusing his office by misusing funds that should benefit artists in Zimbabwe.
Speaking during a press conference that was held in Harare, yesterday Chipfumbu said, “On March 16, Nyathi, First Farai, Alexio Gwenzi and some board members planned a private journey and went on to spend lavishly in hotels using funds that belong to artists. Learn more
