Diocese of Machakos, Kenya 🇰🇪

Continent: Eastern and Central Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Machakos / Machakosen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Nairobi

Neighbouring Dioceses: Ngong (←), Nairobi (↖), Embu (↑), Kitui (→), Wote (↘)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1969.05.29: Established as Diocese of Machakos / Machakosen(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nairobi and became suffragan of Nairobi)
2023.07.22: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Wote

Present Prelates

Bishop (2018.06.23 – ...):	Bishop Norman King’oo Wambua (73)
Coadjutor Bishop (2026.01.04 – ...):	Bishop Joseph Maluki Mwongela (58) Bishop emeritus of Kitui (Kenya)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Machakos (Roman Rite)

Bishop Norman King’oo Wambua (73)
(2018.06.23 – ...)

Bishop of Machakos (Kenya)

Born:	1952 (Kathiani, Kenya)
Ordained Priest:	1988.05.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1998.08.16

Priest of Lodwar (Kenya) (1988.05.22 – 1998.06.27)

Bishop of Bungoma (Kenya) (1998.06.27 – 2018.06.23)

Bishop of Machakos (Kenya) (2018.06.23 – ...)

Apostolic Administrator sede plena of Wote (Kenya) (2024.09.28 – 2025.09.21)

Bishop Anthony Muheria, Opus Dei (63) (later Archbishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 2015.02 – 2017.04.23)

Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde (74)
(Apostolic Administrator 2014.12.09 – 2015.02)

Bishop Martin Kivuva Musonde (74) (later Archbishop)
(2003.03.15 – 2014.12.09)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mombasa (Kenya)

That they may be one

Born:	1952.02.10 (Muthetheni, Kenya)
Ordained Priest:	1978.12.09
Consecrated Bishop:	2003.06.03

Priest of Mombasa (Kenya) (1978.12.09 – 2003.03.15)

Bishop of Machakos (Kenya) (2003.03.15 – 2014.12.09)

Apostolic Administrator of Kitui (Kenya) (2007.05 – 2008.06.28)

Apostolic Administrator of Machakos (Kenya) (2014.12.09 – 2015.02)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mombasa (Kenya) (2014.12.09 – ...)

President of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (2021.07 – 2024.04.19)

Bishop Boniface Lele (later Archbishop)
(Apostolic Administrator sede plena 2003.01.24 – 2003.03.15)

Bishop Urbanus Joseph Kioko
(1973.07.09 – 2003.03.15)

Born:	1928.05.13 (Kilungu, Kenya)
Ordained Priest:	1961.01.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1973.10.07
Died:	2008.03.02 (Nairobi, Kenya † 79)

Bishop of Machakos (Kenya) (1973.07.09 – 2003.03.15)

Fr. James Gerard Kavanagh, C.S.Sp.
(Apostolic Administrator 1971.10.09 – 1973.07.09)

Bishop Raphael S. Ndingi Mwana’a Nzeki (later Archbishop)
(1969.05.29 – 1971.08.30)

Born:	1931.12.25 (Mwala, Kenya)
Ordained Priest:	1961.01.31
Consecrated Bishop:	1969.08.01
Died:	2020.03.31 (Nairobi, Kenya † 88)

Priest of Nairobi (Kenya) (1961.01.31 – 1969.05.29)

Bishop of Machakos (Kenya) (1969.05.29 – 1971.08.30)

Bishop of Nakuru (Kenya) (1971.08.30 – 1996.06.14)

President of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (1982 – 1988)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Nairobi (Kenya) (1996.06.14 – 1997.04.21)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Nairobi (Kenya) (1997.04.21 – 2007.10.06)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes, Machakos, Machakos

Ngong (←), Nairobi (↖), Embu (↑), Kitui (→), Wote (↘)

Statistics (2023)

Area: 6,126 km²

Population: 610,150 Catholics (42.9% of 1,421,932 total)

Pastoral Centres: 49 parishes

Personnel: 134 priests (112 diocesan, 22 religious), 6 deacons, 36 seminarians