KENYA: KCCB Condoles with the family of Bishop King’oo
Burial of the Father of Bishop King'oo Wambua of Machakos Diocese
The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) led by the Chairman, Most Rev. Philip Anyolo joined family and friends of the Bishop of Machakos, Rt. Rev. Norman King’oo Wambua, during the burial of his father Mr. Sebastian Wambua on 28th January, 2019 in Kitale. Late Mzee Sebastian Wambua passed away on 20th January, 2019.
Delivering the Bishops’ message of solidarity, Archbishop Anyolo said, “The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops joins you in mourning the death of your beloved father, who is our father too. On behalf of the entire Conference, accept our condolences from the Bishops here present and those who are not. Your father has gone ahead of us. We shall pray for you and your family for strength to accept what you can’t change,” he said.
In his Homily, Kitale Bishop, Rt. Rev. Maurice Crowley, encouraged the family, particularly Bishop King’oo, to remain strong in their faith knowing that as believers, there is life after death and that they will be reunited with their departed father in glory as death is not the end.
“Death is inevitable – all of us are on the way,” said Bishop Crowley. “Mzee Sebastian looked after his family like a good shepherd, kept the faith and paid his everlasting tithe by giving God his own son to serve in his vineyard.”
He observed that Mzee Sebastian Wambua was like Abraham, the Father of all nations as mentioned in Book of Genesis, who left his ancestral home to settle in an unknown land.
“Mzee Sebastian left Makueni where he was born and moved to Bwayi in Kitale where he lived until his death,” he said. “He also lived a long life. He has been eulogised as a hardworking man who loved education and farming.”
Bishop King’oo during the burial of his father Mr. Sebastian Wambua
Bishop Crowley therefore challenged the Christians to learn from what Mzee Sebastian had done in his 89 years of life both at family level and beyond.
“A father to one priest is a father to all priests, hence the large turnout of the clergy during this send-off,” he said.
On his part, Bishop Norman King’oo also paid tribute to his immediate family for taking care of Mzee Sebastian during his sickness especially in his last few months when he was not able to visit his home regularly following his transfer to the Diocese of Machakos.
The funeral was attended by hundreds of mourners including the Archbishop of Nairobi His Eminence John Cardinal Njue, the Auxiliary Bishop of Nairobi Rt. Rev. David Kamau, the Bishop of Ngong Rt. Rev. John Oballa Owaa, Bishop of Lodwar Rt. Rev. Dominic Kimengich, Archbishop Emeritus of Nyeri Most Rev. Peter Kairo, the clergy, Religious men and women and the laity from Kitale, Bungoma and Machakos. Others present were political leaders including Makueni Governor, Kivutha Kibwana, and Bungoma Deputy Governor, Charles Ngome Kibanani.
~End~
