The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has launched a scathing attack on Church leaders following claims that the party was behind poverty in the Nyanza region.
On Friday, ACK Bishops Mwai Abiero, James Ochiel, Joshua Owiti and David Kodia accused the Raila Odinga led party of doing too little to uplift local from abject poverty.
"We want to restate that the ACK is committed to the philosophy of development based on practical entrepreneurial engagements.
"The ODM party's dormancy has continued to subject locals to abject poverty and there is need to have an alternative party," they said.
For a decade now, the Orange party has dominated Nyanza politics, a move that has seen it produce majority of elected leaders.
But a section of the party leaders led by chairman John Mbadi, accused the church of playing sideshows with politics of development, adding that the party had nothing to do with poverty.
"ODM has been around for less than 10 years. Youcan't blame it yet the slow development is hinged on funding by ruling elites," said Mbadi.
Homa Bay Women Rep Gladys Wanga added: "If the Church has specific leaders they want to label, let them name them instead of lumping everybody together."
The leaders further stated that the Church had absconded its sole duty of calling for equity, leading to discrimination by subsequent governments in the region.