A Kenyan High Court has declined to suspend the directive by the country’s Registrar of Societies that deregistered the Church of controversial Pastor Ezekiel Odero- The New Life Prayer Center and Church in Kilifi county.
Justice Jairus Ngaah however certified the matter as urgent and directed the Pastor to serve his papers on the registrar and the Attorney General who have been named as respondents in the matter.
“In short, as much as the court would have been disposed to grant the order for stay(suspension), the prayer for the order is grounded on a non-existent premise. For this reason, the prayer of stay is refused,” said the Judge
The registrar and the AG will have seven days to file and serve their responses to the application by Odero which will be mentioned on September 5, for directions.
In his court papers, Odero claimed he was not given any opportunity to defend himself and the church before the Registrar of Societies embarked on deregistering the New Life Prayer Centre and Church.
He pleaded to have the decision overturned as it is curtailing his congregant’s freedom of worship. This has since been declined.
He maintained he had no prior information as to the decision of the Registrar to cancel the Registration of the church and was not given any opportunities to defend himself in order to avert the deregistration.
“It is increasingly disheartening of the numerous attempts by state organs to persecute me, frustrate my ministry and eventually not only shut down the New Life Prayer Centre & Church but also all my other projects,” says Odero
