Pope Leo XIV has on July 10, established the new catholic diocese of Kapsabet, splitting it off from the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret.
In a significant move, the Holy Father has appointed Rt. Rev. John Kiplimo Lelei, currently serving as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret, as the first Bishop of the new Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet.
The announcement was made by His Excellency Bert Van Megen, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya. Van Megen asserted that Kapsabet will now become the 28th diocese in the country, consisting of parishes within the borders of Nandi County.
Bishop Lelei who is now embarking on a new chapter, was ordained a priest on October 26, 1985 in the diocese of Eldoret.
He studied philosophy at St. Augustine Mabanga and Theology at St. Thomas Aquinas in Nairobi. He also holds a doctorate degree in Theology with a specialization in Liturgy from the University of Vienna, Austria.
Lelei was consecrated as auxiliary bishop of Eldoret on May 25, 2024. Before his appointment as bishop, he served as lecturer and rector at the St. Matthias Mulumba Senior Seminary in Tindinyo and served as the Rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi from 2017 to 2023.
He was also the Vicar General of the Diocese of Eldoret.
