Rt. Rev. Philip Anyolo
Bishop of Homabay - Kenya & the
Administrator of Catholic Diocese of Nakuru

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History of the Diocese

The Catholic Diocese of Nakuru (CDN) was once under the ecclesiastical territory of the Vicariate of the Upper Nile. The Mill Hill missionaries arrived in Western Kenya in 1904 where the church grew rapidly among the Luo, Luhya and Kisii people. In 1928, the first mission was opened at Nakuru. However, at the time, the mission catered primarily for European and Goan Catholics and their migrant African employees. This mobility of the African population limited progress of evangelization within the white settled areas referred to as "white highlands". In the reserves, the conservative attitudes of the Kalengin people coupled with resistance from other Christian missionaries made evangelization extremely difficult.

The Priests of St. Patrick's Missionary Society were the first missionaries followed by Comboni Fathers. The Spiritan Fathers, Franciscan Friars and the Contemplative Evangelizers of the Heart of Christ (CEHC), and the Apostles of Jesus successfully joined them. These early initiatives have blossemed into a church that is now pridominatly local with a total of 350,000 catholic

The Catholic Diocese of Nakuru was created on January 11, 1968. Until January 1996, the Diocese covered the area that is now under the new Catholic Diocese of Kericho. Initially, Nakuru Diocese was administered by an Apostolic Administrator,the Rev. Monsignor Denis Newman of the St. Patrick's Missionary Society (SPS) until 1971 when his Grace R.S. Ndingi Mwana'a Nzeki now Archbishop of Nairobi was then appointed Bishop of Nakuru. In 1997, he was succeeded by the Rt. Rev. Peter Kairo who had served Murang'a Diocese for thirteen years. The phenomenal growth in the number of parishes with one or more resident priests gives some idea of the pace at which the Church has grown during the last 35 years. The unprecedented growth is evidenced by the increase of parishes from less than 10 in 1968 to 36 in 2003. The rapid development is also attested by the fact that the Diocese now has 130 priests comprising 82 diocesan and 48 missionaries (the religious society of apostolic life). In addition there are 55 religious brothers, 171 religious sisters, 44 seminarians (candidates for priest hood) and 420 catechists .
 

The Vision

" To be a community of Christian love where the human person is respected and dignified"
 

The Mission

" To promote pastoral and human development through evangelization and community mobilization"

 

Contact Information

Catholic Diocese of Nakuru
P.O. Box 938-20100
Nakuru, Kenya
Tel:+254-51-2211634/5/6
Fax:+254-51-2212844
E-mail: cdnbshop@africaonline.co.ke

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OUR  MISSION: To Promote Pastoral & Human Development through Evangelization & Community Mobilization