Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has appointed Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Mwongela as the Fourth Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kitui.
The news of the appointment of Bishop-Elect Joseph Mwongela was officially made public in Rome on Tuesday 17th, March 2020 at Noon, Rome Time (2.00 p.m. Kenyan Time).
The letter of his appointment was sent to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) by the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, His Excellency Archbishop Hubertus van Megen.
Bishop-Elect Mwongela will replace Most Rev. Anthony Muheria who was transferred by the Pope to the Archdiocese of Nyeri on 23rd, April 2017.
Archbishop Muheria has been serving as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Kitui since April 2017.
Bishop-Elect Joseph Mwongela is currently serving as the Vicar General of Kitui. He was first appointed as Second Vicar General on 6th, March 2015.
As Vicar General, Bishop-Elect Mwongela is in charge of priestly personnel and conduct, pastoral, education, health, development, diocesan communication and youth chaplaincy matters.
He is a member of the Boards of Caritas Kitui, Muthale Mission Hospital and St. Teresa’s Catechetical Training Centre, among others.
Bishop-Elect Mwongela is an alumni of St. Mathias Mulumba Matinyani Secondary School in Kitui.
The Catholic Diocese of Kitui was created on 16th, November 1963 with Rt. Rev. William Dunne as the first Bishop. The second Bishop was the late Archbishop Boniface Lele who was appointed in February 1996.
Archbishop Anthony Muheria was appointed Bishop of Kitui in 2008 where he served until April 2017 when he was transferred to the Archdiocese of Nyeri.
Details of the Installation of Bishop-Elect Joseph Mwongela will be communicated in due course. — Catholic Media Network in Kenya (CMNK)
