Catholic Archbishops In Kenya: A Comprehensive Count

As of 2018, there were six Catholic archbishops in Kenya. They include His Eminence John Njue, who served as Archbishop of Nairobi since 2007. John Njue was born in 1944 in Embu and was ordained as a priest in 1973 by Pope John Paul VI in Rome, St Peter's Basilica. In addition, Archbishop Philip Anyolo, who has been leading Christians in Nairobi, is also among the six Catholic archbishops in Kenya.

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John Cardinal Njue is the Archbishop Emeritus of Nairobi

On 6 October 2007, John Cardinal Njue was appointed Archbishop of Nairobi and was installed on 1 November 2007. He was promoted to Cardinal-Priest of Preziosissimo Sangue di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. He participated in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis. In 2013, Pope Francis named him a member of the Congregation for Catholic Education.

John Cardinal Njue was a prominent figure in Africa's Catholic Church. He was one of the cardinal electors who did not participate in the 2025 papal conclave due to health problems. Pope Francis accepted his resignation as Archbishop Emeritus of Nairobi on 4 January 2021.

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Philip Anyolo is the current Archbishop of Nairobi

There are six Catholic Archbishops in Kenya. One of them is Philip Arnold Subira Anyolo, the current Archbishop of Nairobi. He was born on May 18, 1956, in Tongaren, Bungoma, and has been serving as a bishop since 1996. Pope Francis appointed him Archbishop of Nairobi on October 28, 2021, and he was installed on November 20, 2021.

Anyolo attended Kakamwe primary school in Tongaren and Mother of Apostles Minor Seminary in Eldoret. He also studied philosophy at St. Augustine Major Seminary in Mabanga and theology at St. Thomas Aquinas in Nairobi. He was ordained as a deacon in 1982 and as a priest for the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret, Kenya, on October 15, 1983.

Before becoming Archbishop of Nairobi, Anyolo served as a bishop in Kericho from 1996 to 2003 and in Homa Bay from 2003 to 2018. He then became the Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kisumu from 2019 to 2021 before being appointed to his current position in Nairobi.

There was a sixth archbishop in Kenya in 2018

As of 2021, there were six Catholic archbishops in Kenya. One of them, the Archbishop of Kisumu Archdiocese, retired in 2018. He was born in 1942 in Nyakach, Kisumu, and was ordained as a priest in 1968. In 1978, he was appointed Bishop of Kisumu Diocese, a position he held until 1990 when he became the Archbishop of Kisumu Archdiocese.

In addition to the above, the other five archbishops serving in 2018 were:

• John Njue, Cardinal and Archbishop Emeritus of Nairobi Archdiocese.
• Philip Arnold Subira Anyolo, Archbishop of Nairobi.
• An unnamed archbishop who was born in 1956 in Bungoma and was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1983 to serve in the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret. He was appointed in 1995 as the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kericho by Pope John Paul II and then as the Archbishop of Kisumu Archdiocese in 2018.
• An unnamed archbishop who was born in 1941 and ordained as a bishop in 1970. He was appointed as Bishop of the Diocese of Murang'a in 1983 and transferred to the Dioceses of Nakuru in 1977. In 2008, he was appointed Archbishop of Archdiocese of Nyeri, where he served until he retired in 2017.
• An unnamed archbishop who was born in 1952 and ordained as a priest in 1979. From 1989 to 1992, he served as a social communications coordinator of the Archdiocese of Mombasa. In 1992, he was appointed to work in Ukweli Video Productions in Nairobi, where he rose to the rank of director. He held this position until he was appointed Machakos Diocese Bishop in 2003.

It is worth noting that there is also an Anglican Church of Kenya, which had six archbishops as of 2016. The sixth Anglican archbishop, Jackson Ole Sapit, was installed in 2016 and was still serving as of 2018.

John Njue was the first Kenyan Cardinal

John Njue, born in 1944 or 1946, was the first Kenyan Cardinal. He was appointed Bishop of Embu in 1986 by Pope John Paul II and received his episcopal consecration from Jozef Cardinal Tomko. In 2002, he was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Nyeri and served as Apostolic Administrator of Isolo from 2005 to 2006 following the murder of Bishop Luigi Locati. On 6 October 2007, Njue was appointed Archbishop of Nairobi and was installed on 1 November of the same year. Shortly after, he was created Cardinal-Priest of Preziosissimo Sangue di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo by Pope Benedict XVI in the consistory of 24 November 2007, becoming the first Kenyan Cardinal.

As Cardinal, Njue participated in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis. On 30 November 2013, he was named a member of the Congregation for Catholic Education by Pope Francis. He also served as a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the Congregation for the Clergy. In addition to his religious duties, Njue was vocal on social issues such as marriage customs, vaccination programs, and LGBTQ+ rights. He once criticised men who made exorbitant demands for payment from the groom's family, a practice known as "bride price". He also led a campaign against a WHO-sponsored vaccination program, asserting that the vaccine was designed to lower fertility. Regarding LGBTQ+ rights, Njue disagreed with former US President Barack Obama's statement during an official visit to Senegal in 2013, where he said that African governments should follow the US example in taking action on gay rights. In response, Njue said, "Let him forget, forget and forget... [t]hey have ruined their own societies. I do not think God was making a mistake when he created Adam and Eve".

Despite being eligible to serve as an elector in the 2025 papal conclave, Njue did not participate due to health problems. Pope Francis accepted his resignation as Archbishop of Nairobi on 4 January 2021. John Njue's impact as the first Kenyan Cardinal is evident through his contributions to the Catholic Church in Kenya and his stance on various social issues.

The Pope appoints archbishops

The Pope, as the bishop of Rome, is responsible for appointing archbishops. While the Pope makes the final decision, the process of selecting a new archbishop involves several steps and stakeholders.

First, any bishop in a province can submit names of priests they believe are suitable for the position of bishop. The bishops of the province then meet, discuss the nominees, and vote to decide on a list of recommended candidates. This list is sent to the apostolic nuncio, who acts as the Pope's representative in the country and plays a pivotal role in the selection process. The nuncio conducts a confidential evaluation of the candidates, gathering information and interpreting it for the Congregation.

The apostolic nuncio then forwards the best candidates to the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome, which is headed by a Cardinal known as the "prefect." The Dicastery conducts a final evaluation of the candidates and presents its recommendations to the Pope during a private audience.

The Pope makes the final decision on appointing an archbishop, and once he has made his choice, the Congregation is notified, and the successful candidate is contacted to accept the position.

In the Catholic Church, the Pope is at the top of the hierarchy, followed by Patriarchs, Major Bishops, Cardinals, Archbishops, Diocesan Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. While the Pope typically appoints archbishops, there is one instance where the College of Cardinals elects a new bishop of Rome, who becomes the Pope.

In Kenya, there are currently six Catholic Archbishops.

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