Metropolitan Archdiocese of

Mombasa

Kenya

Continent: Eastern and Central Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Mombasa / Mombasaën(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Garissa, Malindi

Neighbouring Dioceses: Same (↙), Moshi (←), Ngong (↖), Wote (↖), Kitui (↖), Garissa (↑), Malindi (↗), Tanga (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1955.05.08: Established as Diocese of Mombasa and Zanzibar (English) / Mombasa e Zanzibar (Italiano) / Mombasaën(sis) et Zanzibaren(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nairobi and became suffragan of Nairobi)
1964.12.12: Renamed as Diocese of Mombasa / Mombasaën(sis) (Latin) (lost territory to establish Apostolic Administration of Zanzibar and Pemba)
1976.12.09: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Garissa
1990.05.21: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mombasa / Mombasaën(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan see Garissa)
2000.06.02: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Malindi and gained suffragan see Malindi

Contact Info

Address: Catholic Secretariat, P.O. Box 84425, Nyerere Ave., Mobasa, Kenya

Phone: (043)31.15.26

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2014.12.09 – ...):	Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde (74)
Coadjutor Archbishop (2026.01.28 – ...):	Archbishop Dominic Kimengich (65) Bishop emeritus of Eldoret (Kenya)

Monsignors (2)

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Mombasa (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde (74)
(2014.12.09 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mombasa (Kenya)

That they may be one

Born:	1952.02.10 (Muthetheni, Kenya)
Ordained Priest:	1978.12.09
Consecrated Bishop:	2003.06.03

Priest of Mombasa (Kenya) (1978.12.09 – 2003.03.15)

Bishop of Machakos (Kenya) (2003.03.15 – 2014.12.09)

Apostolic Administrator of Kitui (Kenya) (2007.05 – 2008.06.28)

Apostolic Administrator of Machakos (Kenya) (2014.12.09 – 2015.02)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mombasa (Kenya) (2014.12.09 – ...)

President of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (2021.07 – 2024.04.19)

Bishop Emmanuel Barbara, O.F.M. Cap.
(Apostolic Administrator 2013.11.01 – 2014.12.09)

Archbishop Boniface Lele
(2005.04.01 – 2013.11.01)

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

Priest of Kitui (Kenya) (1974.12.08 – 1995.11.02)

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)

Archbishop John Njenga
(1990.05.21 – 2005.04.01)

Born:	1928.12.25 (Tigoni, Kenya)
Ordained Priest:	1957.02.17
Consecrated Bishop:	1970.11.22
Died:	2018.11.04 (Nairobi, Kenya † 89)

Bishop of Eldoret (Kenya) (1970.10.19 – 1988.10.25)

President of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (1976 – 1982)

Bishop of Mombasa (Kenya) (1988.10.25 – 1990.05.21)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mombasa (Kenya) (1990.05.21 – 2005.04.01)

Bishops of Mombasa (Roman Rite)

Bishop John Njenga (later Archbishop)
(1988.10.25 – 1990.05.21)

(see above)

Bishop Nicodemus Kirima (later Archbishop)
(1978.02.27 – 1988.03.12)

Born:	1936.03.03 (Karatina, Kenya)
Ordained Priest:	1962.12.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1978.05.14
Died:	2007.11.27 (Nairobi, Kenya † 71)

Priest of Nyeri (Kenya) (1962.12.22 – 1978.02.27)

Bishop of Mombasa (Kenya) (1978.02.27 – 1988.03.12)

President of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (1988 – 1991)

Bishop of Nyeri (Kenya) (1988.03.12 – 1990.05.21)

President of Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (1989 – 1997)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Nyeri (Kenya) (1990.05.21 – 2007.11.27)

Bishop Eugene Joseph Butler, C.S.Sp.
(1964.12.12 – 1978.02.27)

Born:	1900.10.23 (Belfast, Northern Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1928.06.17
Consecrated Bishop:	1957.05.11
Died:	1981.05.03 (Raheny, Ireland † 80)

Bishop of Mombasa and Zanzibar (Kenya) (1957.01.26 – 1964.12.12)

Bishop of Mombasa (Kenya) (1964.12.12 – 1978.02.27)

Bishops of Mombasa and Zanzibar (Roman Rite)

Bishop Eugene Joseph Butler, C.S.Sp.
(1957.01.26 – 1964.12.12)

(see above)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Holy Ghost Cathedral, Mombasa, Mombasa
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Same (↙), Moshi (←), Ngong (↖), Wote (↖), Kitui (↖), Garissa (↑), Malindi (↗), Tanga (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 39,000 km²

Population: 416,000 Catholics (14.6% of 2,854,855 total)

Pastoral Centres: 61 parishes

Personnel: 142 priests (97 diocesan, 45 religious), 679 religious (64 brothers, 615 sisters), 27 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2026.07.02

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