Pope Leo XIV has erected the Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet, carving it out of the existing Diocese of Eldoret.
In a statement on Thursday, July 10, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) said the new diocese will fall under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kisumu.
"The Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has erected the new Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet, with territory taken from the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret, making it a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kisumu (Kenya)," the statement read.
Pope Leo appointed Rt. Rev. John Kiplimo Lelei, the current Auxiliary Bishop of Eldoret, as the bishop of the newly established diocese.
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As such, KCCB said the appointment marks Bishop Lelei’s release from the titular See of Mount Numidia.
"At the same time, the Holy Father has appointed Rt. Rev. John Kiplimo Lelei, currently the Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret, as the First Bishop of the new Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet, simultaneously releasing him from the titular See of Mount Numidia,” the statement added.
Lelei was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Eldoret on March 27, 2024, and was consecrated and installed on May 25, 2024.
He is expected to be installed as Bishop of Kapsabet on August 30, 2025.
This comes about two years after Pope Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis, erected the Diocese of Wote in Makueni County and appointed Rt. Rev. Paul Kariuki Njiru as the new bishop.
Njiru described the appointment as a happy moment for the Catholic church in Wote, and vowed to serve with humility.
“It’s a happy moment for the Wote faithful who have waited several years for this moment since the days of the late Bishop Kioko. They have matured in their faith.
"I will serve with humility and love and I am hopeful that together with the Wote Diocese members we will do great things," he said.
