New Life Prayer Centre and Church leader, Pastor Ezekiel Odero, who was recently arrested and is facing criminal charges in connection with the mass killing of his followers, has hired the services of a seasoned Nairobi lawyer, Danstan Omari.
Pastor Odero made the announcement on Friday, and Mr. Omari confirmed that he will be representing the pastor in court.
Detectives are investigating the deaths of members of Pastor Odero’s New Life International Church in Kilifi County, and seeking to establish why so many of his followers have died.
The clergyman was also questioned on why he did not report the deaths to the police before taking the bodies to the mortuary. He stated that he did not know this was the procedure.
On Tuesday, Pastor Odero was summoned by police officers in Kilifi and was grilled for hours over allegations that he was involved in occultism.
He denied the claims before Kilifi detectives who told him they would summon him again when needed.
The pastor’s lawyer, Mr. Jared Magolo, did not inform journalists whether there is a relationship between Pastor Odero and cult leader Paul Mackenzie of Good News International Church, who was arrested in mid-March after it emerged that he led a team that buried his followers in shallow graves.
The case is still under investigation, and more details are expected to emerge as the investigations proceed.
