Pastor Ezekiel Odero’s Church, Newlife Prayer Centre was on Friday, August 18 deregistered in a crackdown on religious institutions.

The Prayer Centre was among five other churches whose registrations were revoked by the Registrar of Societies.

Pastor Ezekiel Odero was recently at the center of investigations, after the emergence of the Shakahola massacre linked to controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie in Shakahola, Kilifi County.

“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,” read part of a statement by the Registrar of Societies Maria Nyariki.

Other deregistered churches include Helicopter of Christ Church, Theophilus Church, Kings Outreach Church, and Goodnews International Ministries.

Goodnews International Ministries is owned by Shakahola cult leader Pastor Paul Mackenzie. Paul Mackenzie, who is currently in police custody, is facing charges of misleading members of his church to fast to death. So far, over 450 bodies have been exhumed from the Shakahola forest.

Pastor Ezekiel was arrested on April 27, and arraigned in court on accounts of conspiracy to commit crime and money laundering. He denied all the charges against him and was set free on May 12 after paying a cash bail.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki on April 28, announced a massive reshuffle of police bosses in Kilifi County, after the discovery of mass graves at the Shakahola forest.

Kindiki explained that the transfer of security chiefs in Kilifi would enable the government to conduct thorough investigations into the Shakahola mass graves.