Pastor Ezekiel Odero has filed an appeal against the Registrar of Societies’ decision to deregister his New Life Church Centre.
Odero, through his lawyer Dunstan Omari, claims that no warning was given to him prior to the cancellation.
He claims the Registrar’s action is in bad faith because he has a conference starting tomorrow.
According to Pastor Ezekiel,the ‘Meza ya Bwana’ conference will last 14 days, with over 100,000 people expected to attend on a daily basis.
“By law, that appeal served as a stay for the next 90 days before the Attorney General makes a decision,” Omari told the press at the Milimani Law Courts. Omari stated that the church is still open to its adherents as a result of the filing of the appeal.
Omari stated that they have also attempted to access the registration information in order to submit returns, but their efforts have been futile.
“Numerous letters have been written to the Registrar, but obtaining the file has proven difficult,” Omari explains.
Pastor Ezekiel Odero’s Newlife Prayer Centre was deregistered by the Registrar of Societies on Friday.
Through a gazette notice dated August 3, 2023, four other churches were also deregistered.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 12 (1) of the Societies Act, the Registrar of Societies cancels the registration of the societies specified in the first column of the Schedule, with effect from the respective dates specified in the third column of the schedule,” Registrar of Societies Maria Nyariki said.
Other churches are Goodnews International Ministries which was cancelled on May 19, and Helicopter of Christ Church which was deregistered on May 19, 2023.
