Pope Francis has appointed Rev Monsignor Mark Kadima bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Bungoma in western Kenya.

News of Monsignor Kadima’s appointment was officially published in L’Osservatore Romano in Rome on Tuesday December 14, 2021 at 12 noon Rome time (2pm in Kenya or 11 GMT).

The Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, Archbishop Bert Van Megen, also sent an official communication to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) communicating the same.

The Papal Nuncio’s letter reads in part, “I have the honour and pleasure to inform you that Pope Francis has appointed the Reverend Monsignor Mark Kadima bishop of Bungoma.”

 Bishop-designate Kadima will be taking over from Rt-Rev Norman King’oo who was transferred to the Catholic Diocese of Machakos on June 23, 2018. The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kakamega Joseph Obanyi has been the apostolic administrator of Bungoma since then.

 Bishop-elect Kadima was born on April 30, 1964 in Kholera, Kakamega couty, and was ordained a priest for the Catholic Diocese of Kakamega on October 3, 1993.

 He went to Kholera Primary School from 1972 to 1978, St Peter’s Seminary Mukumu, Kakamega, from 1979 to 1982 and Tindinyo College between 1983 and 1984. After Tindinyo, he proceeded to St Mary’s Seminary Molo for propaedeutic spiritual formation in 1985 and St Augustine’s Senior Seminary, Mabanga in Bungoma for philosophical formation from 1986 to 1987. Bishop-designate Kadima then went to Pontifical Urbanian University in Rome where he pursued bachelor’s degree in philosophy from 1987 – 1988, theology from 1988-1991 and Licentiate in Canon Law from 19910-1993.

 After his ordination to the priesthood in 1993, he briefly worked as a parish assistant at Shiseso Parish. On August 16, 1996, he was appointed rector of Saint Peter’s Mukumu. He was also appointed to serve in various capacities as diocesan coordinator of catholic justice and peace commission, member of college of consultors, diocesan canon law advisor, member of diocesan renewal programme implementation team of the African Synod, member of the board of governors and Canon Law Society Kenya and member of the Kisumu Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Tribunal.

From 1999, Bishop-designate Kadima joined pontifical academia and he has been to different apostolic nunciatures as an ecclesiastical diplomat.

Until his appointment, Monsignor Kadima was serving as Vatican’s Charge d’Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in South Sudan.

• A Tell report