A pastor in the New Life Prayer was accused of murdering his congregation by starving them to death. This makes the second case of 'mass killing' in the Country.
New Life Prayer
Following the arrest of Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, a leader of a cult who came under suspicion of manipulating over one hundred followers of his church, which led to the deaths of those individuals, on Thursday, Apr.27, Kenya's Ministry of the Interior, Kithure Kindiki announced that Ezekiel Odero, the charismatic leader of the New Life Prayer Centre and Church, would also be facing criminal charges concerning the mass massacre of his followers, DW reported.
As mentioned, many people frequently visit Odero's church, which is located south of Malindi in Kenya. The building can accommodate 40,000 people. At church rallies, the congregation offers "holy" pieces of cloth for sale and asserts that the items can cure any illness, including HIV.
In the past, notable figures, such as Dorcas Rigathi, the wife of Kenya's Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, have been seen in attendance during Odero's mega rallies.
Moreover, The Manila Times reported that on Friday, Apr. 28, Kindiki made his second visit to the murder scene. During this visit, he mentioned an overhaul in the local law enforcement and security agencies, including transferring top managers. However, he did not give any grounds for the transfer.
According to the prosecutors, Odero has been accused of committing various crimes, including homicide, assisting in the commission of suicide, kidnapping, radicalization, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud, and money laundering.
The affluent televangelist faced trial in Mombasa's magistrate's court, where prosecutors requested additional 30 days of detention to allow authorities to finish their investigation.
Based on the legal documents, Attorney Peter Kiprop stated that there was "credible information" connecting the murders of "several innocent and vulnerable followers" of Odero to the bodies that were excavated from the Shakahola forest.
Without providing a specific figure, he continued by saying that "the police have established that several deaths... occurred within the precincts of the New Life Ministry" in Mavueni, which is located not too far away from Malindi.
Also Read: LA Police Arrested Housekeeper’s Husband for Killing Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell
Forest Massacre of Paul Mackenzie Nthenge
A report from The Guardian stated that In the aftermath "Shakahola forest massacre," people are wondering how Nthenge could continue to evangelize despite having attracted the notice of the authorities six years earlier.
In 2017, he was detained on counts of "radicalization" after he urged parents not to allow their kids to go to school, claiming that the Bible did not sanction education.
According to reports from the local media, Nthenge was retaken into custody this past month after two children in the care of their parents died of starvation. However, he turned himself into the authorities after being released on bail. On May 2, Nthenge and several other potential culprits will appear in court.
On the other hand, the President of the East African nation, William Ruto, has referred to the head of the cult as a terrorist and pledged the harshest possible penalty for him and anybody else in the Country who promotes "weird, unacceptable ideology."
However, previous attempts at controlling the more than 4,000 churches registered in Kenya have failed, although incidents involving cults and rogue pastors have garnered significant media attention.
The constitutional guarantee of separation between religion and state is being used as a basis for vehement opposition to initiatives that have been proposed to weed out undesirable actors. These proposals include mandating that pastors receive formal training in theology.
Related Article: Aerial Bombing in Myanmar Killed Members of Bible Missionary Church
