Editor's Review

According to lawyer Omari, the state wants to trump up accusations against Pastor Ezekiel to see him taken to Hague.

Lawyer Danstan Omari now asserts the Kenyan state wants Pastor Ezekiel Odero charged in the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC).

The televangelist had his New Life Prayer Centre and Church deregistered on Friday, August 18.

The Registrar of Societies did not divulged the grounds for the deregisteraion on the notice published on the Kenyan Gazette.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 12 (1) of the Societies Act, the Registrar of Societies cancels the registration of the societies specified in the first column of the Schedule, with effect from the respective dates specified in the third column of the Schedule," partly read Registrar of Societies Maria Nyariki's statement.

Lawyer Danstan Omari.

Reacting to the events, Omari who leads Ezekiel's s team of attorneys claimed the government were after persecuting the preacher.

He said the records proved Ezekiel's establishments, the church included, had remitted their dues to the taxman.

The attorney claimed charges were being trumped up to set grounds for Ezekiel's trial at the ICC.

"KRA has put it clearly that all the returns have been given. It is religious and political witchunt on Pastor Ezekiel. 

It is a scheme by people planning on how they will take him to ICC to be jailed there. That's why they brought the issue of genocide," said Omari.
Ezekiel's church has been on the government radar over allegations of, among others, money laundering, occultist activities and indoctrination.

He has moved to court to challenge the delisting of his church.

Other religious establishments deregistered include Helicopter of Christ Church, Kings Outreach Church Theophilus church and Good News International Church.

Good News International is associated with the Shakahola tragedy's alleged mastermind Paul Mackenzie.

Over 400 human bodies have so far been retrieved from shallow graves in the vast Shakahola forest.

Mackenzie is accused of indoctrinating whose faithful whom he convinced to fast with the intent meeting God.

Most of them starved to death, with their bodies being interred in the aforementioned shallow graves.