Another rebel Kenyan priest has quit the Catholic Church in blatant protest against celibacy.
Father John Karimi, now happily married with three children, had served the church as a priest for 15 years.
He felt that celibacy was not practical in the mainstream church and opted out rather than continue cheating God and people.
"I made up my mind to walk out of the Church and have a wife of my own whom I cherish instead of living a hypocritical life and finally go to hell," he told the Nation in an exclusive interview.
Celibacy was introduced to ensure that priests with a calling to serve God concentrated in spiritual nourishment without interference.
It was also introduced to avoid nepotism which was prevalent in one of the oldest churches globally.
Before the introduction of the infamous rule, the founding Popes and priests used to influence recruitment of their family members to the Church.
According to Father Karimi, the founders had wives and family and at one time one of the Pope was succeeded by his son.
He clearly recollected how in 2004 while he was in-charge of Ichagaki parish, he decided that time to go was now and started a new life than continue burning with passion and sinning against God.
Father Karimi boldly approached the then Murang'a Catholic Bishop Peter Kihara and informed him of his decision.
However, the Bishop would not accept and pleaded with him to stay, convincing him that he would be used to celibacy with time.
The Bishop then gave him one year to meditate over the issue and give a feedback.
After staying outside the Church one year, Father Karimi once again went to the Bishop and told him that his decision still stood but remained adamant asking him not to quit.
Unsatisfied, the clergyman wrote to John Pope11 in 2005 through Bishop Kihara asking to be relieved of his priesthood duties as he had decided to quit.
The priest never got a reply and defiantly left unceremoniously and settled at his Kirinyaga County rural home.
"I had to leave whether I was allowed to go or not. And I say this with finality," he said.
Ever since then, Father Karimi led a quiet life until Saturday when he went public about his tribulations.
Without mincing words, the priest said almost all the priests do not practice celibacy.
He disclosed that in his priesthood, he had four different girlfriends.
"I used to make love to these women. More often than not I would sleep with a woman and the following day on Sunday I'm at the altar delivering a sermon and giving out sacrament. Sometimes I would feel so guilty or feel like dying when I thought of the celibacy vows I took," he said.
"Instead of embracing such a life that could easily make him rejected in heaven when time comes to meet his maker, Father Karimi tied the knot with his girl friend Mary Nanjekho.
He met her in 2006 and proposed to her after few months of courtship.
He married at the Attorney General's chambers as no Catholic Church was willing to solemnize a wedding as he was treated as an outcast.
When he married Nanjekhoo, she had two children and after sometime he sired another child with her.
Father Karimi said "like air and food, sex is a necessity that one can't do without. It is a basic human need and psychologists can attest to this".
He claimed that 95 per cent of the priests were not celibate at all and suggested celibacy which he noted was introduced in the 16th century should be scrapped or made optional for the Church to be holy and discharge God's service without hypocrisy.
Karimi said many priests would like to take the hard decision of quitting but because of economic factor they have chosen to remain in service.
"When one is a priest in the Catholic Church, he has everything he wants. Money, transport, accommodation and many other benefits and many clergy had chosen to go to hell than leave and suffer," he said.
Father Karimi who now travels by a motorcycle says although he at first had difficulties in making ends meet, he slowly got accustomed to the life outside the Church.
And because he loved priesthood so much, he was Saturday consecrated the Bishop of Ecumenical Catholic Church of Christ in a colourful ceremony at Good Samaritan Secondary School in Mwea. He will be in-charge of Mount Kenya region.
On the ground to usher him into the new ministry which was founded by an American Catholic rebel, Carol Roding was Archbishop Mwangi Theuri.
Born in 1964 at a remote Mahigaini village, Father Karimi grew in a Christian family as his father Mr Richard Nderi was a staunch Catholic follower.
As a young boy, he admired priesthood and vowed that he would become a priest when he grew up , a dream that came true in 1990 when he was ordained.
He desired a sincere spirituality which he later realized that it does not exist among the clergy in the Catholic Church.
Father, Karimi, a second born in family of twelve holds a Bachelors Degree in Theology from the University of Ubaniana in Italy.
Father Karimi is not alone, Father Godfrey Shiundu and Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo are some of the priests who have rebelled and quit. Both have since married.
While conducting the consecration ceremony, Archbishop Theuri who also quit the Catholic Church, said Christianity has evolved for Africans to make their own decisions on religious matter.
He insisted the New Church was not at war with the roman Catholic but just differed in principles.
The Archbishop said the new Church has now 300,000 followers in Kenya and its fame was spreading fast.
So far the Church has consecrated five Bishops across the country.