Popular Televangelist Ezekiel Odero of New Life Prayer Centre and Church has been arrested.

Pastor Ezekiel of the popular Mavueni church was arrested on Thursday morning in Mombasa.

He is accused of indoctrination of the public. He is also suspected of being a accomplice of pastor Paul Mackenzie

He was arrested a day after he was grilled for hours over claims his church is also involved in occultism.

Coast Regional Commissioner Rhodah Onyancha said the pastor was arrested in Mavueni, Kilifi county.

She also said his prayer centre and the church has also been closed.

She said this was because there were allegations of deaths reported on his premises.

The pastor denied the claims of occultism at his church before Kilifi detectives on Wednesday.

Police aware of the developments said the move to summon him on Wednesday was prompted by the ongoing exhumation of bodies from a farm in Shakahola Forest.

The arrest comes a few days after Ganze MP Kenneth Kazungu called for the investigation of the controversial pastor.

Also Read: Pastor Ezekiel Odero of New Life church arrested

Kazungu said the church is responsible for many deaths and the number of people who die as a result of the teaching of the church could be more than those exhumed in Shakahola forest.

Speaking in Jaribuni when he distributed Bursaries to needy students in Jaribuni ward, Kazungu said many sick people in Kilifi have refused to take medication and believe holy water from the church and a handkerchief will heal them.

“There is a church between Mavueni and Kaloleni that the government need to seriously investigate. Followers of that church are brainwashed to believing in miracles and end up dyeing. Some are forcefully removed from hospital beds and taken to the church for prayers and end up dyeing,” he said

The MP said most patients at the Kilifi county hospital have the holly water and the handkerchief hidden under their beds.

“Some do not want to take anti-retroviral drugs anymore. Some do not want to take diabetes medication anymore because they have been assured by the pastor that they will be healed if they take the water,” he added.

Kilifi county executive committee member for Health Peter Mwarogo confirmed that some patients admitted in most of the county health facilities have the water and the white handkerchief.

“It is a sad phenomenon but we are advising the patients against discontinuing their medication,” he said

A mortuary attendant at the Kilifi county hospital mortuary said the facility is full of unknown bodies brought in from the church.

“We receive so many bodies from that church and most of them have no identification. It is something security organs need to take seriously,” said the source.

Amani Kea, CEO of the Milele Funeral Home also confirmed picking up several bodies from the church to their mortuary.

“People are dying there and if I give you the statistics you will be shocked. If nothing iis done then we are likely to have a more devastating scene than what we are witnessing in Shakahola forest,” he said

The church is under 24-hour guard by security officers from the Kenya police services.

Most of the followers throng the church from upcountry.

The televangelist has a fleet of over 20 busses that carry followers to the church.

He is also putting up several accommodation facilities withing the expansive church compound.

On Tuesday, a heated debate ensued in the national assembly when Kilifi north member of parliament Owen Baya called for an investigation to the activities of the church.

Baya said some students cover their heads with the handkerchiefs during exams with a belief that they would pass the exams.