Plans have started for the installation of the new Kitale Catholic Diocese Bishop.
Pope Francis in November 2022, appointed Rev. Fr. Henry Juma Odonya as the new bishop to take over from Bishop Maurice Crowley who is retiring.
“I have the honour and pleasure to inform you that Pope Francis has appointed the Reverend Father Henry Juma Odonya as the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kitale. The Bishop–Elect comes from the clergy of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret,” the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, Archbishop Bert Van Megen, said in an official communication to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB).
The Kitale-Bishop elect is now set to be installed on January 21, 2023.
As part of the preparations for the event, West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin and his Trans Nzoia counterparts George Natembeya on December 20, 2022, held a meeting with the outgoing Bishop Maurice Crowley.
The meeting discussed plans for the installation of the Bishop-elect.
Kitale Catholic Diocese covers Trans Nzoia and West Pokot counties.
During the meeting, Governor Kachapin hailed the Catholic Church for its efforts in promoting access to quality education and development, both in West Pokot and Trans-Nzoia.
The governor also made a commitment to continue collaborating with the church to develop the region.
Following the appointment of Rev. Fr. Henry Juma Odonya as the new Kitale Catholic Diocese Bishop, Bishop Crowley will be proceeding on retirement having attained the bishop’s mandatory retirement age of 75 years.
Kitale Diocese Bishop-elect Odonya’s background
The Kitale Bishop-Elect was born in 1976 to the Late George Odonya and Odonya.
He joined St. Mary’s Major Seminary in Molo in 1997 for his spiritual year. From 1998 to 1999 he was at St. Augustine Seminary, Mabanga for his Philosophical Studies. Later, from 2000 to 2004, he was at St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary for his Theological Studies. Bishop-Elect Odonyo was ordained deacon on 11th June 2005 and priest of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret on 25th February 2006 at Sacred Heart Cathedral by the late Bishop Cornelius Korir. He also obtained Licentiate in Missiology from Urbanian University in Rome in 2018.
At the time of his appointment, the Bishop-elect was serving as a Formator at St. Patrick Philosophy House – Durban in South Africa.
Bishop Crowley has served as the Bishop of the Kitale Catholic Diocese since 1998.
Prior to that, he served as Rector of Mother of Apostles Seminary, Eldoret, Kenya, from 1983 until 1998 and as Vicar General of Eldoret Catholic Diocese from 1992 until 1998.
