Pope Francis has appointed Rev. Fr. Michael Otieno Odiwa as the Bishop of Homa Bay Diocese.

The news of the appointment of Bishop-Elect Michael Odiwa was officially announced in Rome on Sunday at 2:00 pm Kenyan Time.

The letter of his appointment was sent to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) by the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, Archbishop Hubertus van Megen.

Odiwa is set to replace Most Rev. Philip Anyolo who was transferred by Pope Francis to the Archdiocese of Kisumu on November 15, 2018. 

Archbishop Anyolo has been serving as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Homa Bay since 2018.

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Odiwa currently works in the Archdiocese of Adelaide in South Australia as an assistant Parish Priest and is in charge of Italian speaking community of the Annunciation Church Hectorville Parish as well as defender of Bond Tribunal of the province of Adelaide South Australia and Northern Territories. 

Odiwa is also the former Vicar General of Homa Bay Diocese and the Parish Priest of the Homa Bay Cathedral. 

He has also worked at the Asumbi, St John’s Seminary Rakwaro, Rakwaro, Ang’iya and Nyalieng’a Parishes.

Odiwa was born on November 11, 1962 in Sori, Karungu and later baptised in 1963 at Migori Parish. 

He was ordained a Deacon on May 17, 1992 and ordained a Priest for the Catholic Diocese of Homa Bay on 3rd, July 1993.

He studied for his Doctorate in Canon Law from Urbaniana University in Rome 2000-2005 and studied Spirituality at St. John’s Senior Seminary Molo in 1986, his Philosophy at St Augustine’s Senior Seminary Mabanga 1987-1988 and Theology at St. Matthias Mulumba Kalemba Tindinyo from 1989 to 1992.