Second Kenyan Pastor Accused of Mass Killing of His Followers

Kenya’s interior minister said on Thursday that one of the country’s most famous pastors would be charged with the “mass killing of his followers.” This came just days after dozens of bodies were found in a church that was connected to the pastor.

Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said in a statement that Ezekiel Odero, the leader 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.”

“The church in question has been closed. The more than 100 people who were hiding out at the building have been forced to leave, and they will have to give statements,” he said.

Odero Was Taken From the Coastal Town of Malindi

Odero’s arrest happened at the same time that Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, a cult leader who is accused of killing at least 98 people who were connected to his church, was being looked into.

Police haven’t made a connection between the two cases or given any more information about the accusations against Odero or his church.

Odero was taken from the coastal town of Malindi, where his church is based, to the regional police offices in Mombasa to be questioned. He was wearing the all-white clothes he always wears and was holding a Bible.

Odero is a rich televangelist who draws huge crowds. His church south of Malindi has room for 40,000 people, and he says that “holy” scraps of cloth that he sells at his “mega-rallies” can cure illness.

After dozens of bodies were found on Nthenge’s land near Malindi last week, the government said it would crack down on “extreme” church groups. Most people in Kenya are Christians.

The man who says he is a preacher is accused of telling his followers that the way to God is to starve themselves to death. So far, at least 22 people have been caught.

The Associated Press says that Kenyan President William Ruto compared Nthenge to a terrorist, saying, “What we are seeing… is like terrorism.” He also said that Nthenge “pretends and poses as a pastor, but in reality, he is a terrible criminal.”

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