KENYA: Nakuru Diocese Gets New Apostolic Administrator
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
After the elevation of the then Ordinary of Nakuru Diocese to become Archbishop of Kisumu Archdiocese, Pope Francis has appointed the Auxiliary Bishop of Nairobi Rt. Rev. David Kamau Nga’nga as the Apostolic Administrator of Nairobi’s Suffragan Diocese of Nakuru.
Announcing the appointment on Saturday, March 19, during the Installation of Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba at Tumsifu Centre Kisumu, the Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya Archbishop Hubertus van Megen said Bishop Kamau will serve the Diocese for some months until a new Bishop is appointed.
“The Diocese of Nakuru is vacant and we will need some time to find a new Bishop for that Diocese,” the Pope’s representative who doubles as the Apostolic Nuncio for South Sudan said in his speech adding that the role of the Apostolic Administrator is to “govern the Diocese for the time being till a new Bishop is found.”
Bishop Kamau was ordained diocesan priest of Nairobi in 1982 and in 1999 appointed the Auxiliary Bishop of the same Archdiocese.
After Pope Francis accepted the resignation of John Cardinal Njue as the Archbishop of Nairobi upon attaining the mandatory retirement age of 75 years in January 2021, Bishop Kamau served as the Apostolic Administrator until November 2021 when the new Archbishop was installed.
Nakuru Diocese fell vacant on February 18, following the appointment of Bishop Muhatia as the Archbishop of Kisumu Metropolitan.