By Ericson Mangoli
For decades, Kenyan televangelist Ezekiel Ombok Odero has been revered as a gifted spiritual leader and healer, with followers across the East African region. However, allegations of fraud, mass killing, and exploiting the poor recently emerged, leading to his fall from grace.
Born in the island of Lake Victoria in poverty, Pastor Ezekiel was unable to complete schooling and spent his early adulthood as a fisherman. Feeling he was called by God to spread a Bible-based gospel, he began preaching in churches around the country, eventually moving to a prominent televangelist’s megachurch in Mombasa. Having had no traditional theological training, Pastor Ezekiel taught himself during his training and developed a signature baritone voice and signature all-white outfit, regularly accompanied by a large Bible.
Pastor Ezekiel quickly made a name for himself in the local church and turned it into the ‘New Life Prayer Center and Church’, located south of the coastal city of Malindi. Here, he drew in thousands of followers from all over the world, including affluent individuals and parts of the general public who had fallen on hard times.
This huge following meant that the church soon became a spiritual and economic hub, replete with its own helipad, restaurant, and international school. Pastor Ezekiel also began to publicise his own spiritual performance healing powers, claiming that “holy” water, and scraps of cloth were able to heal any disease, including HIV.
However, this success was short-lived as accusations of manipulation started to surface. According to law enforcement, Pastor Ezekiel was responsible for the mass killing of his followers and undisclosed financial gains from the duped faithful. Following the gruesome discovery of dozens of bodies at another Kenyan church, police arrested Pastor Ezekiel and closed his megachurch down.
This high profile downfall is an example of the dark side of televangelism that can exploit followers from all walks of life. While Pastor Ezekiel found success and power through his snake-oiling, his sudden downfall serves as an event to caution those who get caught in the spell of charismatic religious leaders offering false promises.
With nearly 450,000 subscribers, the YouTube channel of Pastor Ezekiel Odero has become a source of testimonies among Kenyans who claim to have been miraculously healed. These range from people who have been cured of cancer and other diseases through prayer to people who regained their sight after Pastor Ezekiel’s attempts at healing.
Pastor Ezekiel himself asserts that he hasn’t visited the hospital or been sick in two decades. Though the modest preacher claims to be an unconnected ordinary man, he has taken to the pulpit and preached alongside some notable figures such as Dorcas Gachagua, wife of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Last December, these two figures filled a 60,000-seat stadium in Nairobi.
The media attention to the pastor’s rising fame and wealth have caused him to go on a tour of his church with journalists present and to assure them he had nothing to hide. Even allowing members of the press to visit his church and answer questions, Pastor Ezekiel Odero is still able to manage a network of curious believers who are drawn to his healing services and remain convinced of his special powers.
The man himself has thus far avoided accusations of supernatural deeds or illegal behaviour, and instead has focused on building the trust and faith of his followers by presenting a clear display of his own piety. Though regular reports of similar claims gradually fill the headlines and debates, many remain faithful to the healer, who continues to offer hope to those in need and make a living out of it.
As someone who was once one of the most powerful men in Kenya, Pastor Ezekiel Odero’s fall from grace has been nothing short of spectacular. From his humble beginnings as a pastor in a small village, Pastor Ezekiel managed to amass a large following and become one of the most popular religious leaders in the country. However, his fall from grace came just as quickly as his rise, and today he is a disgraced figure.
