Pastor Ezekiel’s controversial statements during his sermons
New Life Church’s Pastor Ezekiel Odero has severely found himself in the midst of controversy due to his unconventional teachings that have raised eyebrows among netizens.
The outspoken televangelist has made a series of controversial statements in 2023, touching on topics ranging from hairstyles and names to attire and accessories.
One of the pastor’s contentious assertions revolves around women with dreadlocks.
According to Odero, women sporting dreadlocks face difficulties in finding marital bliss.
He went further to claim that even those currently married will inevitably face divorce.
“Hakuna mwanamke akona rasta akona bwana. Na kama ako bwana, huyo ako barabarani anaenda… Ukiona mke wako anasonga hiyo nywele rasta, ako njiani anaenda (No woman with dreadlocks is married. And if she’s married, her husband is out there on the road… If you see your wife with those dreadlocks, she’s on her way somewhere),” he declared during a church session.
Pastor Ezekiel didn’t stop at verbal commentary but offered financial assistance to a man with dreadlocks, urging him to shave them for better employment prospects.
“Who will put you in their office? Say you are employed as a teacher; who will allow you to teach their children?” he questioned.
The pastor also took aim at women named “Diana”, warning men against marrying them, claiming they would assert control like robots.
He urged his followers not to name their children Diana, citing a history associated with the name.
“Ukioa Diana uishi na yeye, atakucontrol kama robot (If you marry a woman named Diana, she will control you like a robot) “Have you ever seen any Diana married?”
He also advised his followers is to stop giving them the name Diana, saying that it is a name with a wrong history.
“Don’t name your child Diana, because if she gets married, you will share her with people, Diana is loved for no reason even if she doesn’t know it,” Ezekiel said.
He also suggested that men wearing specific wristbands face marital challenges.
“Any man with that wristband huwa ndoa yake inamsumbua,” he said.
Pastor Ezekiel extended his controversial teachings to attire, alleging that dera dresses, commonly worn in coastal regions like Malindi and Mombasa, harbour spirits preventing women from getting married.
“Ukivaa dera hautaolewa (If you wear a dera, you will not get married)”, he firmly stated.
Adding to the list of cautioned attributes, the pastor advised against women with tattoos on specific body areas, claiming such women are prone to unstable marriages.
“If your wife has a tattoo on the neck, chest, legs, arms, thighs, then be prepared to share her with people. A woman who has pierced her nose does not have a stable marriage.”
The televangelist’s statements have sparked discussions and criticism on social media, with many questioning the basis and impact of such teachings.