• Pastor Ezekiel Odero claims that there are numerous attempts by state organs to persecute him, frustrate his ministry and any other projects connected to him
• He says that although the allegations against him are unsubstantiated, there has been increasing extrajudicial actions by several organs against him
• He argues that the move by the Registrar of Societies shall cause irreparable harm and his congregant’s freedom of religion shall be curtailed
Embattled pastor Ezekiel Odero claims that there are numerous attempts by state organs to persecute him, frustrate his ministry and any other projects connected to him.
Pastor Ezekiel Odero
He says that although the allegations against him are unsubstantiated, scandalous and baseless, there has been increasing extrajudicial actions by several organs including the registrar of societies who are currently threatening to cancel the registration of New Life Prayer Centre and Church in a bid to unreasonably deny the applicant and his congregation their freedom to religion.
In a new application against the state, Odero claims that there is imminent danger that the Registrar of Societies might anytime from now cancel the registration of New Life Prayer Centre and Church.
“That the unwarranted suspension of the church’s known television frequency to wit, World Evangelism Television without a prior notice, the forceful suspension of ministry at the church without a written notification and freezing of the church’s bank accounts is part of an unconstitutional path that several state organs including but not limited to, the National Police Service, the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions, the Communications Authority of Kenya and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have deliberately colluded to trod on and subsequently frustrate the Applicant’s ministry not withstanding that it he is an innocent man of the cloth,” reads court papers.
Ezekiel wants the court to issue a stay order to the Registrar of Societies on its alleged directive and intention to cancel the registration New Life Prayer Centre and Church upon expiry of the 21 days’ notice.
“That the registrar of societies in a well-orchestrated and malevolent scheme to have the registration of the church drafted a letter dated 27th April issuing a 21 day notice to the applicant to show cause why his church registration should not be cancelled for failure to file its annual returns and barefacedly served the said letter on the applicant on 25t May 2023, 8 days after expiry of the intended 21 day notice to the applicant,” reads court papers.
Similarly, Ezekiel argues that the Registrar of Societies issued him a letter dated April 13, 2023 informing him to file his annual returns from the years 2012-2022 despite refusing and failing to avail the his file to him for the purposes of filing his annual returns.
It is his argument that the move by the Registrar of Societies shall cause irreparable harm and his congregant’s freedom of religion shall be curtailed.
