NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 14 – Pope Francis has named Rev. Monsignor Mark Kadima the Bishop of Bungoma to take over from the Kakamega Bishop who has been the Apostolic Administrator of Bungoma since 2018.
Bishop Joseph Obanyi has been overseeing Bungoma since Rt. Rev. Norman King’oo Wambua’s transfer to Machakos in June 2018.
Kadima’s appointment was officially published in L’Osservatore Romano in Rome on at 12-noon in Rome (2.00 p.m. Kenyan time) on Tuesday, December 14.
He was serving as Vatican’s Charge d’Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in South Sudan.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, His Excellency Archbishop Bert Van Megen, also notified the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) on the appointment.
“I have the honour and pleasure to inform you that Pope Francis has appointed the Reverend Monsignor Mark Kadima as Bishop of Bungoma,” the Nuncio’s letter reads.
Bishop-elect Kadima was born on 30th April 1964 in Kholera, Kakamega, and was ordained a priest for the Catholic Diocese of Kakamega on 2nd October 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 and St. Augustine’s Senior Seminary, Mabanga in Bungoma for Philosophical formation from 1986 to 1987.
He Kadima then went to Pontifical Urbanian University in Rome where he pursued Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy (1987 – 1988), Theology (1988 – 1991), and Licentiate in Canon Law (1991 – 1993).
After his ordination to the priesthood in 1993, he briefly worked as a Parish Assistant at Shiseso Parish.
On 16th August 1996, he was appointed as Rector of Saint Peter’s Mukumu.
He was also appointed in various capacities as Diocesan Coordinator of Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, member of College of Consultors, Diocesan Canon Law Advisor, member of Diocesan Renewal Program Implementation Team of the African Synod, Member of the Board of Governors and Canon Law Society Kenya and member of the Kisumu Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Tribunal.
From 1999, Bishop-elect Kadima joined Pontifical Academia and he has been to different Apostolic Nunciatures as an Ecclesiastical Diplomat.
