New Life Prayer Centre Church Founder, Apostle Ezekiel Odero, has come under sharp criticism from Kenyans after his outrageous claims regarding the aircraft crash that occurred in Diani, Kwale County, on Tuesday, October 28.
Speaking during a routine church service on Thursday, October 30, Ezekiel narrated how he nearly boarded the aircraft that killed 11 tourists, claiming that he had planned to fly from Mombasa to Nairobi using the same plane.
The Kilifi-based preacher recalled receiving a spiritual warning to him and his wife against flying, so he resorted to taking a train instead.
"I can tell you that I had planned to use the aircraft that crashed in Diani recently. I had booked tickets to travel to Nairobi on the same day, but I decided to board a train because I knew I was going to die," Odero narrated.
He revealed that he had planned to travel to his wife, Sarah Odero's home, through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) from Mombasa when he received the divine revelation.
"I can prove it to you. I did not use the flight tickets. By midnight on the night before the journey, I was praying here in Kilifi, and I told my wife that we were travelling to her native home by flight," the televangelist revealed.
Adding: "I warned her that if we use the aircraft, we would not arrive alive. I told her that there will be breaking news about my death if we use the aircraft. So I directed her to book the Standard Gauge Railway train instead."
Glaring Inconsistencies
His controversial comments quickly sparked widespread criticism from Kenyans, with many poking holes in the preacher's conflicting narration.
Odero's narration bore glaring inconsistencies, particularly in his travel destinations compared to the ill-fated aircraft's departure point and expected landing place.
While Odero claimed he was planning to travel from Mombasa to Nairobi by flight, his narration contrasted the aircraft's departure from Kwale en route to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Narok County.
Additionally, a section of Kenyans questioned the preacher's reluctance and inability to intercede despite receiving initial divine foresight about the aircraft accident.
"His narration seems to be wrong since the aircraft was travelling to Maasai Mara and not to Nairobi, as the preacher claims," commented a netizenn with another adding that, "Why didn't he pray for its safety instead?"
"Why not rebuke that incident before? Why did he wait until it happened?" questioned another netizen.
Meanwhile, others have taken a swipe at the televangelist for reportedly taking advantage of other people's untimely misfortune to seek temporary public attention.
