The police interrupted a gospel meeting in Arusha on Sunday, July 16th, after connecting the preacher to a controversial figure.
Pastor Ezekiel Odero, affiliated with the New Life Church in Kenya, was scheduled to deliver a sermon at the Ngarenaro Primary School field. However, the Arusha District Security and Defense Committee withdrew the permit for the meeting, citing multiple reasons.
Firstly, the authorities claimed that the permit was improperly issued as it should have been sent to Arusha City Director Juma Hamsini for discussion with other government officials before approval.
Secondly, the authorities alleged that Pastor Odero was involved in incidents in Kenya where followers lost their lives. They expressed concern that his presence in Arusha could lead to unrest.
Thirdly, the authorities pointed out that the chosen venue for the meeting was a school where students were currently taking exams.
Consequently, police officers arrived at the location and instructed the gathered attendees to disperse, resulting in the disruption of the meeting.
Soni Nabii, a colleague of Pastor Odero, expressed disappointment with the decision to disrupt the meeting. He stated that they had followed all the necessary procedures to obtain the permit and were unaware of any allegations against Pastor Odero.
The authorities have not yet commented on whether Pastor Odero will be allowed to preach in Arusha in the future.
