Pastor Ezekiel Odero of New International Life Church, Kilifi, was arrested on Thursday, April 27, on accusations of being pastor Paul Mackenzie's accomplice.
Speaking at a press briefing, Coast Regional Commissioner Onyancha confirmed the arrest and affirmed that Odero's church was closed.
"This morning we have arrested Pastor Ezekiel Odero for allegations of the deaths that have been occurring at his premises and reported in various media institutions.
"We have also taken action and closed the prayer centre. We are urging and giving information to the public that the church has been closed and whatever was in there has been cleared out," she stated.
Onyancha also confirmed that Pastor Odero was being interrogated at the DCI regional headquarters in Mombasa County.
The Commissioner noted that 22 suspects believed to be Mackenzie's accomplices were also apprehended in a wide-ranging operation against rogue preachers associated with Shakahola Forest deaths.
In a video doing rounds online, Pastor Odero arrived for interrogations in his white Lexus LX570 before being escorted by police to the station in Kilifi County.
The arrest came after the pastor recorded a statement with Kilifi DCI on Tuesday, April 25.
Sources privy to the matter had previously confided to Kenyans.co.ke that police visited Milele Funeral Home in Mavueni, Kilifi County - a morgue near Pastor Ezekiel's church and interrogated the management on allegations of cult operations at the Coast.
In addition, Milele Funeral Home CEO, Johnson Amani Kea, affirmed that police questioned them over the number of dead bodies the morgue collected from Pastor Ezekiel's church.
The CEO 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," Kea stated.
