• According to the MP, one criminal cannot be the basis for condemning the church.
• He insisted that because of this, God will heavily punish the country.
Image: FILE
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has said that the arrest of Televangelist Ezekiel Odero was uncalled for.
According to the MP, one criminal cannot be the basis for condemning the church.
Barasa said he was strongly opposed to pastor Ezekiel's arrest.
He insisted that because of this, God will heavily punish the country.
"I don't think it was warranted for police to arrest Pastor Ezekiel Odero. One criminal who was running a cult and another one referring to himself as Yesu wa Tongaren cannot be the cause and or result of blanket condemnation of the church. God will punish us heavily for this... I strongly oppose this act," the Kimilili MP said.
His words came shortly after Ezekiel was arrested and detained at the Coast police headquarters.
He was arrested a day after facing the Directorate of Criminal Investigation officers for questioning.
Police said the move to summon him on Wednesday was prompted by the ongoing exhumation of bodies from a farm in Shakahola Forest.
The farm is linked to pastor Paul Mackenzie of Good News International Church.
Mackenzie is suspected of indoctrinating followers of his church into fasting to death with the belief of ascending to heaven to meet Jesus Christ.
However, according to Ezekiel's lawyer Jared Magolo, police will find nothing on the pastor.
Following his arrest, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki said the Televangelist will be charged with mass killing of his followers.
"It is notified for information of the general public that today, Thursday, April 27, 2023, Mr Ezekiel Ombok Odero, the Head of New Life Prayer Centre/Church at Mavueni within Malindi Sub-County of Kilifi County, has been arrested and is being processed to face criminal charges related to the mass killing of his followers," Kindiki said.