Pope Leo XIV has appointed the Reverend John Mbua Mwandi as the new bishop of the Diocese of Kitui, Kenya.
In a statement issued on May 27, it was stated that John Mbua had been serving as the parish priest of Mulutu prior to his appointment.
“The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend John Mbua Mwandi, until now parish priest of Mulutu, as bishop of the diocese of Kitui, Kenya,” read part of the statement.
Profile of John Mbau, New Bishop of Kitui Diocese
John Mbua Mwandi was born on 24 September 1970.
He studied philosophy at Saint Augustine’s Senior Seminary of the Diocese of Bungoma and later pursued theology at Saint Matthias Mulumba Senior Seminary in the Diocese of Kapsabet.
Reverend Mbau was later ordained as a priest on 8 December 2001.
After his ordination, he served as parish vicar in Ikutha in 2002 and later held several pastoral assignments, including parish priest in Miambani from 2001 to 2005, Ikanga in 2006, and at the Cathedral of Kitui from 2007 to 2011.
He also served as dean of the Eastern Deanery in 2005.
The bishop further advanced his professional training by obtaining a diploma in Project Management from the Kenya Institute of Management in Nairobi in 2008.
He went on to serve in key administrative roles within the diocese, including diocesan bursar from 2011 to 2020, pro-vicar general from 2016 to 2020, and vicar general.
Also Read: Pope Leo XIV Transfers Kenya’s Apostolic Nuncio
Other Recent Appointments By Pope Leo XIV
Mbua’s appointment comes after a series of recent Catholic leadership changes in Kenya under Pope Leo XIV in 2026.
The Diocese of Kapsabet was newly erected after being carved out of the Diocese of Eldoret, with Bishop John Kiplimo Lelei appointed as its founding bishop in July.
In the Archdiocese of Nairobi, Father Obed Muriungi Karobia was appointed Auxiliary Bishop in March, while the Archdiocese of Kisumu saw Very Reverend Father Vincent Odundo named Auxiliary Bishop in December.
In leadership transitions, Bishop Dominic Kimengich, formerly of Eldoret, was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Mombasa.
In the Diocese of Machakos, Bishop Joseph Maluki Mwongela, formerly of Kitui, was named Coadjutor Bishop.
Also Read: Pope Leo XIV Appoints Rev. Fr. Obed Muriungi Karobia as Auxiliary Bishop of Nairobi
Transfer of Apostolic Nuncio to Germany
Similarly, Pope Leo XIV transferred Archbishop Bert Van Megen from Kenya to serve as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Germany.
The archbishop served as Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya in 2019.
“The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has appointed Archbishop Bert Van Megen, who has served as Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya since 2019, as the new Apostolic Nuncio to Germany,” read part of the statement.
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