The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Friday suspended with immediate effect any further broadcasting by the World Evangelism TV (New Life Communications Ltd) and Times TV (Good News Media Kenya Ltd).
The two stations are associated with pastors Ezekiel Odero and Paul Mackenzie.
The two have been linked to Shakahola’s first shallow graves in Kilifi.
Some 110 bodies have been recovered from the graves in the exhumation process.
The victims were encouraged to starve to death.
CA CEO Ezra Chiloba said Friday following an extensive review of content aired by the two stations between January – April 2023, the Authority established that the TV stations violated broadcasting standards requirements and license conditions.
“The World Evangelism TV was found to have aired inappropriate content on exorcism during the watershed period as well as 12 other violations.”
“Similarly, Times TV aired inappropriate content on exorcism and flouted 17 other broadcasting license conditions,” said Chiloba.
The Authority further directed the broadcast signal distributor, Pan African Network Group (PANG) Limited, to cease carrying the two stations on its platform until further notice.
“The World Evangelism TV and Times TV are associated with televangelists Ezekiel Odero and Paul Mackenzie respectively. The two televangelists are under investigation for the Shakahola tragedy in Kilifi County.”
Friday, interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki visited the site for the second time in a week and announced the government will transfer all station, division sub-county, and county heads and commanders of all agencies (Police Service, APS, DCI, NIS) within Kilifi County effective immediately.
Kindiki said preliminary investigations show a majority of the victims of the Shakahola cult’s activities were children followed by women and men were fewer.
“I want to assure Kenyans that the same way we have defeated armed terrorists al-Shabaab etc.) we will also defeat these terrorists who are hiding behind scriptures.”
“The government will not remove its foot from the gas pedal and it doesn’t matter who you know here in Kenya or even in the spiritual realm, we will come for you, heavy and hard,” he said.
He said the time of accountability is coming.
“Public officials, private people, principal offenders, and everybody in that is in that criminal chain will account for their actions. It will also involve the church people.”
Ezekiel will spend the weekend in custody ahead of a ruling on Tuesday, May 2 on if he should be released on bail or not.
Dozens more bodies are believed to be buried in shallow graves therein.
Some 34 people have been rescued from starvation.
Mackenzie, who is in police custody, is being investigated for influencing his followers to starve to death in order to meet their maker.
Police also suspect that some of the victims did not starve to death and may have been killed and then buried on the property.
He has denied wrongdoing but has been refused bail. He insists that he shut down his church in 2019.
The followers say he told them to starve themselves in order to “meet Jesus”.
