Mark Kadima, the Vatican insider who speaks over 10 languages takes over in Bungoma

A Kenyan Vatican insider-cum-diplomat, a canon lawyer, a peacemaker and a clergyman, who speaks more than 10 major languages, takes over as the new shepherd of Bungoma Catholic Church.

Monsignor Mark Wamukoya Kadima, who was appointed by Pope Francis last year, is to be consecrated as the third bishop of Bungoma Diocese today at St Mary’s High School, Kibabii, on the outskirts of Bungoma town.

The Diocese of Bungoma has been without a bishop since June 2018 following the transfer of Bishop Norman King’oo Wambua to the Machakos Diocese.

Seen by many among the Catholic faithful as a Vatican insider, Monsignor Kadima has served in over half a dozen Apostolic Nunciatures as a Vatican diplomat, including Colombia, Angola, Ghana, Bangladesh, Greece, Brazil, and South Sudan.

Of the six official languages of the United Nations—Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish—Bishop Kadima speaks all but Chinese and Russian. Other languages he is fluent in include Italian, Portuguese, Latin, Greek, Kiswahili, his mother tongue Luhya, and a bit of Bengali, a language in Bangladesh.

The bishop designate was born on April 30, 1964, in Kholera, Kakamega, and was ordained a priest for the Catholic Diocese of Kakamega on October 2, 1993.

He went to Kholera Primary School from 1972 to 1978, St Peter’s Seminary, Mukumu, Kakamega, from 1979 to 1982, and Tindinyo College between 1983 and 1984, after which he proceeded to St Mary’s Seminary, Molo, for propaedeutic spiritual formation in 1985.

Prior to his appointment, he spearheaded the establishment and official opening of the South Sudan Apostolic Nunciature as its pioneer chargé d’affaires since July 2018, before his episcopal appointment by Pope Francis was published by the Holy See Press Office on December 14, 2021.

Unknown to many, Monsignor Kadima organised a visit and a retreat to the Vatican by South Sudan rivals, President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his deputy Riek Machar, in April 2019, aimed at finding a path to peace.

The archrivals met at the Santa Marta within Vatican, a residence for visitors and home to Pope Francis, who later kissed their feet, a rare gesture from the church’s most revered leader.

“The most important moment in South Sudan was when Pope Francis invited both President Kiir and his estranged deputy Machar to the Vatican. Bishop Kadima is the one who organised and took them to Rome to meet the Pope and implored them to come together for the sake of peace in South Sudan,” revealed Bishop Joseph Obanyi, the Bishop of Kakamega who until today was the Apostolic Administrator of the Bungoma Diocese.

Bishop Longinus Atundo, deceased, was the first bishop of Bungoma in 1987.

“Bungoma has finally got a shepherd in the person of Monsignor Kadima. He was born in Bulimbo Parish under the Kakamega Diocese in 1964, and has been a priest for 28 years,” said Bishop Obanyi.

“He has a strong personality, is a go-getter, and never leaves anything to chance. He knows how to work within the church and he is best suited for that position.”

Monsignor Kadima’s appointment was first communicated to the Kenyan Catholic faithful last year by Archbishop Bert van Megen, the Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya and South Sudan, in an official letter to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Apostolic Nuncio recognised Kadima’s vast experience following years of service as a Vatican diplomat.

“We have been looking around for a long time, but we thought that he—with the experience he has, with the background he has—might be the best choice at this point for Bungoma; ...he knows a lot already about Bungoma itself; many of you know him, and he knows many of you,” Archbishop van Megen said.

Known to many of his peers and former students as a disciplinarian, the strict and firm man of the cloth is expected to oversee a diocese with a population of 685,976 Catholics, according to 2018 statistics. The 4,540 square-kilometre diocese was established in April 1987 as part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Kisumu.

Diplomatic service

“I am willing and ready to serve the people of Bungoma and kindly ask you for prayers,” said Bishop Kadima. “The task ahead is huge. But I call upon the clergy and the entire catholic faithful... to work together for the betterment of our Christians.”

He studied Philosophy at St Augustine’s Senior Seminary, Mabanga, Bungoma, from 1986 to 1987. Bishop Kadima then joined the Pontifical Urbanian University in Rome, where he pursued Bachelor of Philosophy (1987–88), Theology (1988–91), and Licentiate in Canon Law (1991–93)—an equivalent of Bachelor of Laws.

“Mons. Mark is an intellectual, he holds a doctorate in Canon (Church) law and even with that, he was able to be trained in diplomatic service of the Holy See,” said Bishop Obanyi.

“He is one person who really knows how the Church works from the very top. He has had personal encounters with the late Pope John Paul II, who actually appointed him to the diplomatic service, retired Pope Benedict the 16th who continued and now Pope Francis.”

For a big part of his life, Bishop Kadima has been more of a mentor of young people. He was one of those prominent rectors (principals) of minor St Peter’s Seminary, Mukumu, which produced many prominent personalities.

“He is a mentor to many of the priests, both in Kakamega and Bungoma. So Bungoma is not really new to him,” said Bishop Obanyi.