Pastor Ezekiel Odero has distanced himself from starvation cult leader Paul Mackenzie, saying he only spoke to him about three times between 2018 and 2022 when he wanted to buy a TV station from him.
In an affidavit filed in court, Ezekiel claimed he had no familial ties to Mackenzie and had only met him once during the TV station negotiations.
“I would wish to strongly disassociate myself from one Mr. Paul Mackenzie as we do not have any close family or friendly ties,” pastor Ezekiel says in part.
The New Life Prayer Centre and Church founding preacher says during negotiations with Mackenzie, they agreed he would buy Times TV for Sh. 3 million, with a Sh. 500,000 deposit.
Pastor Ezekiel tells the court that he wanted the TV station to reach more people as well as rebrand it because he did not agree with Mackenzie’s teachings.
In court documents, Pastor Ezekiel also claims that before he bought the TV station, he spoke to PANG, a Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform. He says he was informed that Times TV had a liability of Sh5 million and could only broadcast in Kilifi County.
TV Deal Fell Through
Ezekiel adds that he broke off the gentlemen’s agreement with pastor Mackenzie and negotiated a fresh deal with PANG.
“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,” court papers read.
Pastor Ezekiel Odero also said his New Life Prayer Centre and Church is well organized and asked investigators to stop associating him with Mackenzie, saying that he has never transported dead bodies to Shakahola.
Ezekiel also dismissed claims that he runs a mortuary on his expansive Mavueni church complex.
“I know too well that New Life Prayer Center and Church does not have a graveyard or a cemetery. And that the only graveyard that is outside the church’s 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,” Ezekiel said.
