Martin Kivuva elected new chair of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops

Mombasa Archbishop Martin Kivuva

Mombasa Archbishop Martin Kivuva as pictured on December 24, 2019.

Photo credit: Wachira Mwangi | Nation Media Group

Mombasa’s Catholic Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde was on Friday elected the new chair of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops ( KCCB).

Rev Kivuva 69, was elected by Catholic bishops who had been on a four-day retreat at the Subukia National Shrine in Nakuru County.

"The new chairman takes over from His Grace Archbishop Philip Anyolo of the Metropolitan diocese of Kisumu,” read a document signed by 23 bishops.

It noted that Rev Kivuva was ordained a priest on December 9, 1978 and a consecrated bishop on June 3, 2003 by the Late Bishop Raphael Ndingi Mwana Nzeki.

He was Bishop of Machakos from 2003- 2015 and was appointed the Mombasa Archbishop on December 9, 2014 and installed on February 21, 2015.

He will be deputised by Rt. Rev Maurice Muhatia Makumba of the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru, who takes over from Rt Rev John Oballa Owaa of the Ngong Diocese.

Bishop Muhatia was born on May 19, 1968 in Lirhanda, under St Joseph the worker Parish in Shibuye, the Kakamega diocese.

He had been serving as the chairman of KCCB’s Seminary Episcopal Commission.

Archbishop Anyolo was elected on October 5,  2015 and served for two terms of three years each, with his tenure ending this year.