KENYA: New Bishop-elect of Kenya’s Lodwar Diocese Asked to be Available for the People

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Christians of the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar on Monday, April 4, received good news of the appointment of a new Bishop for the Diocese, Monsignor John Mbinda a member of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost Fathers also known as the Spiritans (CSSp).

In his official communication to members of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) after the announcement by Holy See Press office, the Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya and South Sudan Archbishop Bert van Megen said in his letter: “I have the honour and pleasure to inform you that Pope Francis has appointed Reverend Father John Mbinda, C.S.Sp. as the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar. The Bishop-elect belongs to the Congregation of the Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritans).”

The Catholic Diocese of Lodwar fell vacant in November 2019, following the transfer of Bishop Dominic Kimengich to Eldoret Diocese.

Until his appointment, the Bishop-elect the former Provincial Superior of the Spiritans for Kenya and South Sudan where he served for six years from January 2015 till January 2021, Msgr. Mbinda was working as an Assistant Parish Priest of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Parish, and then was assisting at St. Edward Parish in Chiswick, Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster Archdiocese in the United Kingdom.

Bishop Kimengich who has been the Apostolic Administrator of Lodwar Diocese since February 2020 appreciated the Pope’s appointment for the Diocese that has been vacant for about two years saying that the people have been expectant of having a new Shephard and are “very happy with the appointment.”

During the Tuesday, April 5, interview with AMECEA Online a day after the appointment, Bishop Kimengich who served in the Diocese for 12 years welcomed his successor assuring him that he will “feel at home as Lodwar is a wonderful place with very good people full of joy and happiness.”

In his message, Bishop Kimengich asked Msgr. Mbinda, a native of Kenya’s Machakos Diocese, to understand the people he is to serve and as a Shepherd to be “open to reach out to the people and avail himself to them.”

He underscored that Lodwar is an arid area with various challenges including poor infrastructure, climate challenges, the people are living nomadic lives hence the need to “understand them and adopt to the situation.”

“I am glad the new Bishop has worked in West Pokot where the climate is equally the same with that of Lodwar and with that experience he will definitely adapt to it,” Bishop Kimengich said during the Tuesday interview referring to a semi-arid region located in Kenya’s Kitale Diocese.

He informed the Bishop-elect that the “territory of Lodwar is huge about 77,000 Square-kilometres with approximately 120,000 baptized Catholics in a population of one Million,” and advised for the need to enhance the ministry of evangelization and vocation promotion.

“The local clergy are 14 but the Diocese has 60 priests including the missionaries,” the Prelate said and expounded, “This means the local priests are still very few so vocation promotion must be continued.”

In his observation, the Diocese of Lodwar is not yet developed and resources are required for its development and “to support the clergy and religious carry out their ministry of serving the people of Lodwar.”

One has to do a lot of fundraising, Bishop Kimengich who has served in Kenya’s Eldoret Diocese for about two year said adding that “I am happy the new Bishop is exposed and can use his contacts to seek for support.”

He appealed to other Dioceses to support Lodwar with Fidei donum priests (missionary diocesan priests sent to evangelize in mission territories) to help in evangelization emphasizing on the number of diocese priests who are few and the vastness of the diocese.

He further advised Bishop-elect to take the opportunity of being creative and initiate new projects “for Lodwar is a Diocese which is not well established and he will see the fruits of his labor.” Besides he continued, “there is still room to establish new parishes since the Diocese has about 30 parishes.”

The outgoing Apostolic Administrator of Lodwar appreciated the people he has worked with for over a decade noting that they have made him serve happily in the Diocese despite the challenges a gesture which has made him learn that “happiness is not so much on the external but in our disposal and having the spirit of giving and self-sacrifice.”