Diocese of Kitui, Kenya 🇰🇪

Continent: Eastern and Central Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Kitui / Kituien(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Nairobi

Neighbouring Dioceses: Wote (↙), Machakos (←), Embu (↖), Meru (↑), Garissa (→), Mombasa (↘)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1956.02.20: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Kitui / Kituien(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nairobi and Diocese of Meru)
1963.11.16: Promoted as Diocese of Kitui / Kituien(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Nairobi)

Present Prelates

Bishop:	vacant
Apostolic Administrator (2026.03.19 – ...):	Bishop Joseph Maluki Mwongela (57) Coadjutor Bishop of Machakos (Kenya)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Kitui (Roman Rite)

Bishop Joseph Maluki Mwongela (57)
(Apostolic Administrator 2026.03.19 – ...)

Bishop Joseph Maluki Mwongela (57)
(2020.03.17 – 2026.01.04)

Apostolic Administrator of Kitui (Kenya)
Coadjutor Bishop of Machakos (Kenya)
Bishop emeritus of Kitui (Kenya)

Your will be done

Born:	1968.04.07 (Kakumi, Kenya)
Ordained Priest:	1996.09.07
Consecrated Bishop:	2020.08.29

Priest of Kitui (Kenya) (1996.09.07 – 2020.03.17)

Bishop of Kitui (Kenya) (2020.03.17 – 2026.01.04)

Coadjutor Bishop of Machakos (Kenya) (2026.01.04 – ...)

Apostolic Administrator of Kitui (Kenya) (2026.03.19 – ...)

Bishop Anthony Muheria, Opus Dei (62) (later Archbishop)
(2008.06.28 – 2017.04.23)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Nyeri (Kenya)
Vice-President of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops

Ut essemus sancti

Born:	1963.05.27 (Kaburugi, Kenya)
Ordained Priest:	1993.06.13
Consecrated Bishop:	2004.01.10

Priest of Opus Dei (Italy) (1993.06.13 – 2003.10.30)

Bishop of Embu (Kenya) (2003.10.30 – 2008.06.28)

Bishop of Kitui (Kenya) (2008.06.28 – 2017.04.23)

Apostolic Administrator of Machakos (Kenya) (2015.02 – 2017.04.23)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Nyeri (Kenya) (2017.04.23 – ...)

Apostolic Administrator of Embu (Kenya) (2023.09.30 – 2024.08.15)

Vice-President of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (2024.04.19 – ...)

Bishop Martin Kivuva Musonde (74) (later Archbishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 2007.05 – 2008.06.28)

Bishop Boniface Lele (later Archbishop)
(1995.11.02 – 2005.04.01)

Born:	1947.04.14 (Kyangwithya, Kenya)
Ordained Priest:	1974.12.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1996.02.02
Died:	2014.04.09 (Mombasa, Kenya † 66)

Bishop of Kitui (Kenya) (1995.11.02 – 2005.04.01)

Apostolic Administrator sede plena of Machakos (Kenya) (2003.01.24 – 2003.03.15)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mombasa (Kenya) (2005.04.01 – 2013.11.01)

Bishop William Dunne, S.P.S.
(1963.11.16 – 1995.11.02)

Born:	1920.06.06 (Delvin, Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1944.12.18
Consecrated Bishop:	1964.02.09
Died:	2002.03.31 (Kiamaina, Kenya † 81)

Prefect Apostolic of Kitui (Kenya) (1956.10.19 – 1963.11.16)

Bishop of Kitui (Kenya) (1963.11.16 – 1995.11.02)

Prefects Apostolic of Kitui (Roman Rite)

Fr. William Dunne, S.P.S. (later Bishop)
(1956.10.19 – 1963.11.16)

(see above)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of Our Lady of Africa, Kitui, Kitui
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Wote (↙), Machakos (←), Embu (↖), Meru (↑), Garissa (→), Mombasa (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 30,496 km²

Population: 242,065 Catholics (20.2% of 1,200,946 total)

Pastoral Centres: 32 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 84 priests (82 diocesan, 2 religious), 98 religious (9 brothers, 89 sisters), 53 seminarians