A Nyanza preacher who once criticized the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has retired and has already been replaced.
The Standard reports that Bishop James Ochiel, who has been the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Southern Nyanza bishop opted for early retirement, ten years to the required 65-year-point.
In April last year, Ochiel hit the headlines when he took ODM leader Raila Odinga on, accusing him and his party of derailing development in the Nyanza region.
When he spoke to the media in his offices in Homa Bay, the priest claimed that the region needed more political parties to come out of the dominance of one political bloc.
"Why do we support only one political party,” he posed while arguing that the region needed more parties to give voters a variety of politicians to elect from.
He also accused the party of slowing development in the region by nominating weak and non-assertive candidates, who do nothing for the people but only show loyalty to Raila.
“We are not doing very well like the other counties because some leaders were imposed on the people. These leaders know that their loyalty to the party leader, Raila Odinga, is the only thing that will get them re-elected and not development,” Bishop Ochiel said as quoted by Standard
The sentiments were met by attacks from the party political affairs boss Opiyo Wandayi, who dared the priest to form his party and proceed to provide the competition.
Ochiel has been succeeded by Simon Onyango, who was elected on Sunday.