Kenya: Christian Pastor Ezekiel Odero Arrested For 'Mass Killing Of His Followers' As Country Reels From Horror Of Mass Grave Linked To Church

Kenya on Thursday (April 27) said that Christian televangelist Ezekiel Odero would face charges over the "mass killing of his followers" just days after discovering 103 bodies in a mass grave linked to another church.

Ezekiel Odero, the head of the New Life Prayer Centre and Church, "has been arrested and is being processed to face criminal charges related to the mass killing of his followers," Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, police arrested the preacher and shuttered his mega-church in Mavueni, Kilifi County. 

"We have closed down the prayer center moving forward. Whoever is in there has been cleared out. We will be giving you updates as we progress with investigations." the police said.

A well-known pastor, Ezekiel Odero, managed to attract thousands of faithful to his churches located in Mombasa and other parts of the country.

“Jesus used me as an instrument to reach out to the masses, it was by grace. I cannot pull such a crowd. But Kasarani was packed to capacity. The stadium management asked me to control the crowd,” Ezekiel Odero said during one of his prayer meeting that attracted over 50,000 faithful followers. The pastor, who drives a white Lexus Lx 570, has frequently faced criticism for his ostentatious lifestyle

Odero's arrest comes even as the country reels from the horror of discovering over 100 bodies at Kilifi's Shakahola forest. The victims are linked to Good News International Church, another Christian cult led by Pastor Paul Mackenzie.

Pastor Makenzi was arrested for allegedly directing his followers to fast to death to meet Jesus and remains in police custody until at least May 2. 

Kenya authorities continue to face accusations that they have failed to regulate the evangelical churches despite high-profile incidents of cults and rogue pastors being involved in crime.