KENYA: Bishop Maurice Muhatia Elevated Archbishop of Kisumu

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Pope Francis has on Friday, February 18, appointed Bishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba the Apostolic Administrator of Kenya’s Kisumu Archdiocese, the new Archbishop for the same Metropolitan See.

The Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya and South Sudan Archbishop Bert van Megen, in an official communication to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) echoed the appointment published in L’Osservatore Romano on Friday.

Archbishop-elect who has been Bishop of Nakuru Catholic Diocese since 2009, is to be the third Archbishop of Kisumu Archdiocese taking over from Archbishop Philip Arnold Anyolo who was transferred to Nairobi Archdiocese October 2021.

Currently Archbishop-elect is the Vice Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and Principal Administrator of Kenya Catholic Secretariat. He served as the Chairman of KCCB – Commission for Education and Religious Education (CERE) and part-time National Executive Secretary for KCCB – Commission for Doctrine.

A Prelate from the Catholic Diocese of Kakamega, and ordained in 1994, Archbishop-elect who is the youngest Archbishop in Kenya, obtained a bachelor’s degree at Urbaniana Pontifical University, Rome, Italy and a master’s degree and Doctorate in philosophy at Pontifical Holy Cross University.

In his ministry as a priest, he has served as Assistant Parish Priest, Vice Rector, Interim Dean and Rector