Preacher Ezekiel Odero believes that state organs are attempting to harass him and interfere with his ministry and any other enterprises associated with him.

He claims that, even though the allegations against him are unsubstantiated, scandalous, and baseless, there has been an increase in extrajudicial actions by several organs, including the registrar of societies, who are currently threatening to cancel the registration of New Life Prayer Centre and Church in an attempt to deny the applicant and his congregation their religious freedom.

PHOTO | COURTESY Pastor Ezekiel

Odero alleges in a new application against the state that the Registrar of Societies could cancel the New Life Prayer Centre and Church registration at any time. 

The court papers read That the unjustified suspension of the church's known television frequency, namely World Evangelism Television, without prior notice, the forcible rest of ministry at the church without written notification, and the freezing of the church's bank accounts are all part of an unconstitutional path that several state organs, including but not limited to the National Police Service, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Communications Authority of Kenya, and the Diocese of Nairobi, have taken.

"That the registrar of societies in a well-orchestrated and malevolent scheme to have the registration of the church drafted a letter dated April 27 issuing a 21 day notice to the applicant to show cause why his church registration should not be cancelled for failure to file its annual returns and barefacedly served the said letter on the applicant on 25t May 2023, 8 days after expiry of the intended 21 day notice to the applicant," reads court papers. 

Similarly, Ezekiel claims that the Registrar of Societies sent him a letter on April 13, 2023, reminding him that he needed to file his annual returns for the years 2012-2022 despite refusing and failing to make his file available to him to make his yearly returns.

He claims that the Registrar of Societies' action will cause irreparable harm and limit his congregants' freedom of religion.