BY SAM ALFAN .
Kilifi based preacher Ezekiel Odero has obtained orders to continue preaching after the High Court suspended government’s move to deregister his New life Prayer Center and Church.
High Court judge Jairus Ngaah granted pastor Odero temporary orders, suspending the decision of the Registrar of Societies cancelling the church’s registration.
The Church, which have over 5000 followers, challenged the cancellation through gazette notice dated August 18.
“Leave is, therefore, hereby granted in terms of prayers 1(a)(b) and (c) of the summons. Pending the interrogation by the court of the question whether the process leading to deregistration of New Life Prayer Center and Church was consistent with the law of the land and, in particular, whether it was legal, rational and procedurally fair to the applicants,” the judge said.
This is after the church officials including pastor Odero, Frankline Kilonzo and Alice Wafula Wanyama termed the de-registration as illegal and irrational.
Through lawyers Danstan Omari and Cliff Ombeta, they argued that the cancellation of the registration of New Life Prayer Centre & Church is unreasonable and in violation of the church’ right to fair administrative action.
The lawyers also said the decision is in violation of their freedom of religion guaranteed under article 32 of the Constitution.
Lawyer Ombeta and Omari told the court that Registrar of Societies published a gazette notice on the 18th of August 2023, which gazette notice was dated the 3rd of August 2023, announcing the cancellation of Registration of the church.
They said the church found out through the media in a letter dated 27 April 2023 requiring them to show cause within 21 days, why the church’s registration should not be cancelled for failure to file its annual returns.
He added that in an obvious scheme to frustrate and obstruct the Church operations, he became aware of the notice to show cause through media outlets, eight days after the expiry of the intended 21-day notice.
Pastor Odero said despite the church ceaseless attempts through his advocates to get the church’s file from the Registrar, for purposes of filing its annual returns, the registrar failed, ignored, neglected or refused to avail the said file to the church.
“Registrar of Societies intentionally and maliciously conspired to make unavailable the church’s file in a bid to frustrate the Applicants efforts to remain in compliance with the Societies Act by filing its Annual Returns on time and the church had no prior information as to the decision of the Registrar of Societies to cancel the Registration of the Applicants church and was not given any opportunities to defend himself and the church in order to avert the deregistration,” says the officials.
The calculated scheme by the Registrar of Societies cancelling the registration of the church on May 19th 2023 and published on 18 August 2023, yet the church only became aware of the notice to show cause on the 25 of May 2023, is in a bid to frustrate the Applicants right to fair administrative action in light of his upcoming “Meza ya Bwana” international conference, scheduled to take place over 14 days.
