Pope Francis Establishes New Kenyan Diocese
Pope Francis established the Diocese of Wote in Makueni County and appointed the current bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Embu, Rt. Rev. Paul Kariuki Njiru, is the new bishop.
Archbishop Bert van Megen confirmed the news, which was officially published on L’Osservatore Romano, a Vatican publication on Saturday, July 22. Since then, the appointment has been shared with the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB).
Archbishop Bert van Megen alluded to the possibility of establishing a new diocese in the region during his June 2023 visit to Kenya.
He assured the residents of Makueni that the Pope was aware of the situation in Wote, Makueni County and that a decision would be forthcoming.
During van Megen’s visit, Bishop Norman King’oo Wambua of Machakos argued for the establishment of a new Diocese in Wote on behalf of the people of Makueni.
Who is Bishop Paul Kariuki?
Bishop Paul Kariuki was born in Kathunguri, Embu County, on March 11, 1963. He studied Philosophy at the Saint Joseph Seminary in Meru and Theology at the Saint Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Lang’ata.
He was ordained a priest on March 1, 1993, and subsequently served as the Priest at Kairuri Parish. After completing his studies abroad, he was named Priest of Kithimu Parish and Secretary of the Diocesan Commission on Education.
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In addition to his pastoral duties, Bishop Paul Kariuki held important administrative positions within the national church.
He has served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) and as a member of the Executive Board of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA).
Context
On May 29, 1969, the Catholic Diocese of Machakos was constituted following its separation from the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi.
By the end of 2021, it encompassed over 80 parishes and was served by approximately 245 priests. The diocese has jurisdiction over the provinces of Machakos and Makueni.
Wote, the main town in Makueni County, is the location of the recently established Catholic Diocese of Wote.
The county has a population of 987,653 according to the 2019 census and shares borders with Machakos, Kitui, Taita Taveta, and Kajiado.
Pope Francis Establishes New Kenyan Diocese
