Pope Leo XIV has officially created a new Catholic diocese in the Rift Valley region and appointed a bishop to lead it, marking a significant milestone for the Catholic Church in the country.
On Thursday, His Excellency Bert Van Megen, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, announced that the new ecclesiastical jurisdiction would be called the Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet.
The current Catholic Diocese of Eldoret was divided into the Diocese of Kapsabet, which will include parishes that are located inside Nandi County's current administrative borders.
Rt. Rev. John Kiplimo Lelei was named the first bishop of the newly established diocese by Pope Leo XIV. Under his leadership, the Catholic faithful in the area are embarking on a new chapter.
Bishop Lelei was the auxiliary bishop of Eldoret prior to his appointment. He has been a pivotal figure in the church's pastoral and administrative responsibilities and is well-known for his dedication to service.
Bishop Lelei was born on August 15, 1958. He was ordained a priest on October 26, 1985, and has served the church for nearly four decades.
He was consecrated as auxiliary bishop of Eldoret on May 25, 2024, a role in which he supported the leadership and mission of the Eldoret Diocese prior to the creation of the new diocese.
The creation of the Diocese of Kapsabet is expected to bring the church closer to the people of Nandi County, enhancing pastoral care, evangelisation, and community engagement in the region.
Last week, Pope Leo XIV appointed Willybard Kitogho Lagho, a Kenyan bishop in the Catholic Diocese of Malindi, to be a member of the Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
The appointment was announced on Friday, July 4, with Lagho set to join one of the main administrative bodies under the Roman Curia.
The Roman Curia is the complex administrative body that assists the Pope in the governance of the Catholic Church.
Before his appointment, Lagho served as the Chairperson of the Commission for Inter-religious Dialogue and Ecumenism (CIRDE) at the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB).
