Police officers investigating the mysterious deaths related to cultic worship at the Coast on Tuesday, April 25, grilled televangelist Pastor Ezekiel Odero over his doctrine and church operations.
Authoritative sources at the Ministry of Interior confided in Kenyans.co.ke that Pastor Ezekiel recorded a statement with Kilifi DCI on Tuesday, April 25.
"Pastor Ezekiel Odero of New Life Prayer Centre and Church today recorded a statement with police over allegations of indoctrination of faithful. He recorded the statement with the police," the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated.
Police also visited Milele Funeral Home in Mavueni, Kilifi County, a morgue near Pastor Ezekiel's church, and interrogated the management on critical issues centred around alleged cultic operations at the Coast.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Milele Funeral Home CEO, Johnson Amani Kea, stated that they responded to police queries on the number of dead bodies the morgue collected from Pastor Ezekiel's church. He also clarified that the funeral home did not file a complaint with the police as alleged, but only aided the police in investigations.
"We did not file a complaint. The police are in the process of recording statements on how many bodies we have handled so far from Pastor Ezekiel’s church.
"We have given our statements to the police, in respect to that, as required by law. We have not lodged a complaint against Pastor Ezekiel. Police are just doing their investigations, period," Amani Kea exclusively told Kenyans.co.ke.
He added that he could not comment further as the security agencies were handling the matter. Nonetheless, he indicated that the police who interrogated Milele Funeral Home management were from DCI Kilifi headquarters and not from Malindi Police Station.
Kenyans.co.ke Reaches Out to Pastor Ezekiel
Efforts by Kenyans.co.ke to have Pastor Ezekiel comment on the matter were futile. Calls to contacts offered on his church's social media pages went unanswered, while text messages were not responded to by the time of publishing this article.
Nonetheless, in past videos, Pastor Ezekiel had spoken on Milele Funeral Home, accusing the morgue of being situated near a blackspot, along the Mombasa-Malindi Road.
“At Mbogolo slope on your way to Mombasa on your right, there is somewhere written Milele Funeral home. There is no hospital, dispensary or clinic, but it’s just a funeral home. And that area is a black spot," Ezekiel spoke in a televised sermon, accusing it of profiting from carnages. He claimed he prayed over the matter, and the morgue was shut down.
However, Johnson Amani Kea, the CEO, responded, clarifying that the morgue was still in operation, adding that the building housing the morgue also hosted other different ventures benefitting the community.
"Such information misleads the public. We are a legal business and operate as guided by the law like every other," Amani Kea told Coast-based Chadi TV in April 2023.
Kithure Kindiki Responds
On Tuesday, April 25, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki confirmed that police officers were investigating other flamboyant preachers whose teachings appeared contrary to what the Law advocates for.
"We have opened an inquiry into another preacher based here in Kilifi, and we are getting crucial leads that will soon help us make logical conclusions.
"Any faith that kills people or engages in criminal activities in the name of religion must be stopped, and this is the time to stop these charlatans," Kindiki assured.
Investigations into the life and doctrines of Pastor Ezekiel Odero came against the backdrop of the Shakahola massacre where over 90 bodies were exhumed and over 30 people were rescued while starving themselves to death.
Controversial Pastor Paul Mackenzie was arrested, with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji recommending the following charges; terrorism, genocide, radicalisation, and aiding individuals to kill themselves.
"We have cast the net wider to another religious organisation here in Kilifi. We have opened a formal inquiry on this religious group and we are getting crucial leads that perhaps what was being done by Mackenzie is the tip of the iceberg," Kindiki revealed.
"This was a misuse of fundamental rights of freedom with the purported use of the Bible to kill and cause a massacre. Those who urged others to fast and die were eating and drinking and purported to prepare them to meet their creator," CS Kindiki stated after visiting Shakahola farm on Tuesday, April 25.
