- He said it was his duty as the spiritual leader to consecrate the land where the new church will be built.
- Ezekiel said owners of the land agreed to merge and sell the big parcel to the church.
Image: FILE
Pastor Ezekiel Odero's New Life Prayer Centre and Church has opened a new branch in Mosocho, Kisii county as he expands his wings for evangelism.
The Kilifi-based preacher on Friday presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the church that will be build on a 13-acre land.
The church is being moved from its original location in Suneka, Bonchari constituency to Mosocho.
Ezekiel said owners of the land agreed to merge and sell the big parcel to the church.
"This is an area that is densely populated and you don't expect it to be that easy to get a piece of land. We are still in the process of doing the transfers but we have already paid and we thank God for our peace-loving people," Odero told reporters.
He said it was his duty as the spiritual leader to consecrate the land where the new church will be built.
Congregants from various districts in South Nyanza region thronged the one-day even that was also attended by Ezekiel's lawyers Danstan Omari and Cliff Ombeta.
Omari said they accompanied the preacher so they could deal with any arising legal challenges.
"Remember the first time after he was released from police custody, Ezekiel was denied permits to do crusades in Machakos. So we came here in alert to see if the security organs would be at it again," Omari said.
Ezekiel was in April arrested after state linked his church activities to the Shakahola deaths where Paul Mackenzie's cult teachings led more than 280 faithful to fast to death.
Ezekiel has denied such links and has since invited the presidential task force reviewing laws governing churches to his Mavueni premises in Kilifi, to ascertain the operations of his church.
President William Ruto formed a 14-member task force to review regulations governing churches in a bid to rein in cult preachers.
The team chaired by former National Council of Churches of Kenya Secretary General Rev Mutava Musyimi is conducting public hearings across the country, and has accepted to tour Ezekiel's church in Mavueni on August 1 according to his lawyers.
Only last week, the government reopened Ezekiel's TV station allowing his more than 10 million followers to access his preaching.
The World Evangelism TV was shut down in April after the state heightened investigations into the Shakahola deaths over cult preachings.
The station is owned by New Life International Prayer Centre and Church.