Pope Francis has appointed Rt. Rev. Maurice Muhatia as the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kisumu. His appointment follows the transfer and appointment of Most Reverend Philip Anyolo as the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi. “The news of Bishop Muhatia’s appointment was officially published in L’Osservatore Romano in Rome on February 18, 2022,” Kenya Catholic Media Network said. “The Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, His Excellency Archbishop Bert Van Megen, also sent an official communication to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) communicating the same.” Until his appointment, Rev. Muhatia was the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru, a position he has held since December 2009. He was ordained a priest for the Catholic Diocese of Kakamega in October 1994. Rev. Muhatia is the current Vice Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops and Principal Administrator of the Kenya Catholic Secretariate. He has previously served as the Chairman of KCCB – Commission for Education and Religious Education (CERE) and part-time National Executive Secretary for KCCB – Commission for Doctrine. After ordination, he served as the Assistant Parish Priest of St. Joseph Parish in Kakamega in 1994, and between 1995-1998 he was vice-rector of St. Peter Minor Seminary in Mukumu. He also served as vice-rector at St. Augustine Major Seminary, Mabanga from 2002 to 2005 and interim Dean at St. Mathias Mulumba Major Seminary in Tindinyo between 2005-2007. He served as rector at St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary Nairobi in 2007.
