Inside Pastor Ezekiel’s multimillion estate

Police officers investigating claims of indoctrination against Pastor Ezekiel Ambok Odero have lifted the lid on the property owned by the televangelist.

The preacher of the New Life Prayer Centre and Church was arrested over the alleged indoctrination of the public.

He first established New Life Church in Shanzu, Mombasa County in 2010.

In the subsequent years, the church grew significantly and in March 2022, he relocated to Mavueni in Kilifi County on a 65-acre piece of land.

His church has at least 40,000 congregants.

At the complex, the preacher has built a four-storey staff quarters, News International School for primary and secondary students, a restaurant, a petrol station and Sh5,500-a-day cottages for church guests.

Currently, there are reports that the leadership is planning to build a university, a student rehabilitation centre, a shopping mall and an airstrip.

The church

The church operated for about two years without formal registration but was finally registered in September 2012.

According to police, the church preaches and promotes a set of beliefs that fail to adhere to the widely held Christian doctrines and teachings.

It is said that in his teachings, Ezekiel discourages his followers from seeking modern medicine and rather urges them to rely on miraculous healing from serious conditions like HIV/AIDS, cancer and other lifestyle diseases.

While this kind of belief is not unique to Ezekiel’s teachings, it is notable that he has allegedly built a mystical entity around himself that attracts a multitude of worshipers to his church in pursuit of healing, miracles and ‘deliverance.’

Reports indicate that at the core of his ministry, Ezekiel preaches to his followers to embrace the use of anointing oil for healing.

Additionally, police are investigating claims that some ailing followers could have died while awaiting his healing miracles in some of his services.

Widespread  teachings

Ezekiel’s teachings have received widespread acceptance as witnessed by the huge multitudes of worshipers from different parts of the country as well as from Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Sweden, the United States and other European countries who continue to troop into his church.

 The church’s services run daily with the exception of Mondays and receive an average of 1,000 visitors during the week and about 30,000 during weekends.

On selected Saturdays, there is Holy Communion, which attracts a multitude of worshipers.

Ezekiel also owns World Evangelism TV and New Life TV, all registered under New Life Communications Ltd. and runs a YouTube Channel. Notably, he owns New Life Communications Ltd.