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Pastor Ezekiel Odero, who is currently in the eye of a storm, traces his roots to Mbita in Homa Bay County. Those who know him well say he was raised by a sickly mother and maternal uncles.
A former classmate said Ezekiel was an ardent Seventh-Day Adventist and a popular duet singer during his days at Miwani High School where he loved to engage in religious debates.
"He liked to engage in endless debates to castigate those who worshiped on Sunday. We were shocked to learn that he started a church that worships on Sunday," said the classmate who did not wish to be named.
Used to trek 28 kilometres to school
He revealed that Eza, as they called him back in the day, used to trek 28km to school on opening days. He came from a humble background.
"One thing that the 1999 and 2000 classes in Miwani High School remember about Eza is how hard he fought for a chance to sing SDA songs during Sunday worship in school," the classmate said.
Another student who was in the same class with Pastor Ezekiel said he was "very poor in Kiswahili" and described his smooth preaching in the language today as a "true miracle."
"He scored a mean grade of C-. He was poor in Kiswahili. The highest score he ever got in that subject was a D+. It is a miracle how he has been able to master that language," said another classmate.
But Ezekiel is said to have distanced himself and cut ties with his former schoolmates. The two classmates said they added him to the school WhatsApp but he 'lefted'.
"Whenever we add him to our WhatsApp group, he says hi, sends a laughing emoji, and leaves," said a classmate.
Odero who was popularly known as 'Eza' in school was also a talented footballer who played number seven.
Miwani High shot to fame in school football, sailing to the national games in 1999 after several giants from the then Nyanza Province was banned for fielding non-students in the sport.
Miwani, however, failed to play in the national games due to financial constraints and passed the chance to Kokoru Boys High from Migori. One of the students who missed the chance to represent Miwani High in the national games was Pastor Ezekiel.
Ezekiel is married to Pastor Sarah, and the couple have three children (a boy and two girls) aged 14, 15, and 16. He has always hailed Pastor Pius Miuru as his spiritual father.
