As investigations into a starvation cult in Kenya that has resulted in the deaths of at least 109 people continue, televangelist Ezekiel Odero has denied any links to controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie.
According to an affidavit filed in court, the preacher who was arrested last week and detained amid investigations into fraud, money laundering, murder, aiding suicide, radicalization, crimes against humanity, and child cruelty, says he only met Mackenzie between 2018 and 2022 when he wanted to purchase a TV station.
According to Pastor Ezekiel, he has no familial or friendly ties to Mackenzie and has only met him once during the TV station negotiations.
According to the court documents, after meeting Mackenzie, Pastor Ezekiel agreed to buy the Mackenzie-owned station for Ksh. 3 million, with a Ksh. 500,000 deposit.
The preacher claims he wanted to buy a TV station to reach out to more people, In line with his mission to combat poverty and illiteracy.
Pastor Ezekiel further claims in court papers that he was determined to completely rebrand the TV station because he did not agree with Mackenzie’s teachings.
In order to ascertain Times Television’s liabilities, he claims that after speaking with PANG, a Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform, he discovered that the station was only available in Kilifi and had an unpaid Ksh. 5M liability.
The preacher, who has denied having ownership of Times Television, claims he broke their verbal agreement and instead negotiated a new offer with PANG for the World Evangelism Tv.
“As a result of my desire to have a Television station whose frequency was national, I negotiated new offers with Pang, leading to the birth of World Evangelism Tv and consequently abandoning the oral agreement between myself and Mr. Mackenzie,” the documents filed in court reveal.
According to the court documents, Pastor Ezekiel claims he has only spoken to Mackenzie three times and that their business relationship came to an end because of the stress surrounding the TV contract.
The preacher has also denied allegations that the New Life Prayer Centre, to which he is connected, also owns a hospital and a mortuary.
The preacher claims that those assertions are not only false but also have an ulterior purpose.
“I know to well that New Life Prayer Center and Church does not have a grave yard or a cemetery. And that the only grave yard that is outside the church expansive compound belongs to the community that sold the land to us,” the court papers read.
“I wish to categorically state that I do not own Times TV and that I equally don’t own or run a hospital or a mortuary. For the avoidance of doubt, the private mortuary that is close to New Life Prayer Centre and Church is approximately 11 kilometers away and is not in any way associated with the church,”
