Good News International Church and New Life Prayer Centre are the churches of the two controversial pastors, Ezekiel Odero and Paul Mackenzie, that reportedly have been brought up in connection with the issue of involvement in a cult resulting in the deaths of their church members. The Registrar of Societies also delivered a cancellation notice to the two churches since New Life Centre did not file tax returns as required by the law. At the same time, Good News International Church has problems with its registration certificate.
Registrar of Societies' Notice of Cancellation
The state has asked Makenzie's Good News International Church to explain why it should not have its license revoked, according to the AG Justin Muturi, who announced the registrar of societies. A report from MPasho stated that the office of the AG claims that the preacher Odero's church, even though the organization satisfies all of the requirements for registration at the time of application, they still neglected to file tax returns in the most recent years.
Moreover, another church in danger of closing is Good News International Church; a notification that the church's license to operate would be revoked has been given to the church's management. As a consequence, the organization's management has been sent a notice of cancellation of the registration certificate it previously held.
On the other hand, Star reported that on Wednesday, May 10, Muturi revealed at a meeting with the ad hoc committee of the Senate investigating the murders in Shakahola, located in Kilifi County, about the killings in Kenya. It is a result of charges that the two houses of worship have been involved in cult and extremist activities which led to the deaths of more than 120 people.
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Controversial Issue of the Two Churches’ Pastor
Pastor Ezekiel Odero, known for attracting large crowds to the events he hosts, was detained for many hours when authorities investigated a funeral home located next to his church, BBC reported. According to the authorities, morgue workers had been retrieving bodies at the New Life International Church facilities, which are located in Kilifi County. The commissioner of the coastal region, Rhoda Onyancha, said that "This morning we arrested Pastor Ezekiel Odero on allegations of the deaths that have been occurring at his premises."
As mentioned, more than one hundred persons who had taken refuge in the church have reportedly been removed by the police, according to Kithure Kindiki, the minister of the interior of Kenya, who added that those individuals would be compelled to submit testimonies. However, there has been no response from the pastor to the charges. In addition, the authorities are looking into his claimed connection to the notorious Pastor Paul Mackenzie Nthenge. This pastor reportedly instructed his devotees to starve themselves to "meet Jesus."
Furthermore, in a forest that was 800 acres in size and was close to Mr. Odero's church in the same region of Kenya as the church, Kenyan officials have already unearthed 95 bodies of persons alleged to have died of malnutrition and were buried in shallow graves. Children made up a significant number of the casualties. Accordingly, Mr. Mthenge, who was detained on April 15 and is still being detained, has asserted that he is innocent of any crime. He is determined to close his church's doors in 2019.
Related Article:New Life Prayer Pastor Arrested for 'Mass Killing,' Allegedly Starving Members to Death
