In new a development , the court has closed the case file on Pastor Ezekiel Odero of New Life Prayer Centre and Church and ordered that his Sh1.5 million cash bail be returned to him. This comes after the pastor was acquitted of all charges related to the Shakahola massacre.
Odero had been on trial for the past few months on charges related to Shakahola where hundreds lost lives to a cult linked to controversial Pastor Mackenzie. However, the court found that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The ruling comes few days after the Senate committee that was probing the alleged involvement of the preacher in the Shakahola cleared him of nay faults.
The court’s decision to close the case file on Odero is also a major setback for the prosecution who had implicated the preacher in the Shakahola saga. The Shakahola massacre was one of the most high-profile cases in Kenya in recent years, and the prosecution had come under immense pressure to secure a conviction.
However, the court’s ruling is a reminder that the burden of proof in a criminal case always lies with the prosecution. If the prosecution fails to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, the accused must be acquitted, regardless of their status or position in society.