Jackson Murugara was ordained and installed the coadjutor Bishop of Meru Catholic Diocese, in a ceremony filled with pomp and color at the Kinoru Stadium on Wednesday 19, March 2025.
The ceremony began with mass, with Archbishop Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen, Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, as the main Celebrant. Other clergy in attendance were all the archbishops and bishops under the umbrella of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) together with priests and religious men and women.
Before his installation as bishop, Murugara was first ordained priest of the Consolata Missionaries on 15 August 2001. He served in that capacity until 16 January 2025. Luckily, he got appointed by Pope Francis on January 16, 2025, and is set succeed the current Bishop Salesius Mugambi.
In his first speech as the bishop, Murugara expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed to his priesthood journey which has climaxed with an elevation to bishop role.
He vowed to work closely with Meru diocesans to continue with the evangelization work and build a lasting foundation of hope for generations to come. “Let us work together embracing our diversity to make Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties and the nation as a whole Heaven of Hope and prosperity for generations to come,” the new bishop stated.
On his part the Apostolic Nuncio, Hubertus Van Megen, urged Murugara to stand firm and never allow to be swayed by the burden the church might bring his way. He reminded him to always involve God in all his doings.
“Dear Jackson you do not stand alone, you are carried by many, you build on the shoulders of many who have gone before us and before you. You do not need to start from scratch or reinvent. The only thing you need to do is to listen to the word of God which is announced through the church, which is taught through Peter the Rock, on which our church in built,” Van Megen said.
Jackson Murugara becomes the 15th Bishop to be consecrated by archbishop Megen since his appointment on February 16, 2019.
