Pastor Ezekiel in court to stop deregistration of his church

 

Pastor Ezekiel Odero of New Life Church now wants the court to stop the registrar of societies from canceling the registration of his church.

Last week, the Registrar of Societies wrote a letter to Odero, telling him to show cause why his registration should not be cancelled for failing to file his annual returns.

However, in the case filed through lawyer Danstan Omari, Odero claims that efforts to file the returns have been futile as their file has been missing at the registrar of societies.

“Despite the church’s ceaseless attempts communicated vide his letter dated April 11 to get the church file from the registrar of societies registry for purposes of filing its annual returns, it has failed, ignored, and refused to avail the file to the pastor,” reads court papers.

Omari argues that The Registrar of Societies might at any time from now cancel the registration of the church notwithstanding the fact that it served its letter dated April 2023 on May 25, 2023, 8 days after the expiry of the 21-day notice contemplated by the registrar dated April 27.

“Appallingly, the Registrar of Societies issued a letter dated April 13 addressed to Pastor Odero unequivocally informing him to file his annual returns from the years 2012 to 2022 despite refusing, failing to avail the file to him for the purposes of filing his annual returns,” he said.

He further says that though the allegations against him are fabricated, unsubstantiated, scandalous and baseless, there has been an increasing extra judicial interference by state organs including the registrar of societies who has threatened to cancel the registration of the church.

Odero wants the court to order the registrar of societies to avail the church file for filing his annual returns as stipulated in law.

He also wants the court to restrain the state or anyone else from canceling the registration of New Life Prayer Centre and Church pending the hearing and determination of his case.

He argues that the unwanted suspension of the church TV Station, World Evangelism Television without prior notice, the forceful suspension of ministry, and the freezing of his accounts are all to frustrate his ministry even though he is an innocent man of the cloth.

“That it is increasingly disheartening of the numerous attempts by state organs to persecute the pastor, frustrate his ministry and eventually not only shut down the New Life Prayer and Centre and Church but also other projects by the church,” he argued.   BY THE STAR