KAKAMEGA, Kenya, Nov 22 — Retired Catholic Bishop Philip Sulumeti will be laid to rest in a crypt near the altar at St Joseph’s Cathedral in Kakamega, following Friday’s solemn funeral mass at Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega.
The late Bishop Emeritus of Kakamega Diocese passed away on the night of November 9 at Nairobi Hospital, leaving behind a legacy of devoted pastoral service spanning more than four decades.
Bishop Sulumeti was ordained a priest in 1969, later serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Kisumu in 1972, Bishop of Kisumu from 1976 to 1978, and eventually as the founding Bishop of Kakamega Diocese from 1978 until his retirement in December 2014.
The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) leadership, including Archbishop Maurice Muhatia of Kisumu, Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Nyeri, Archbishop Philip Anyolo of Nairobi, and Archbishop Martin Kivuva of Mombasa, described the funeral as a “solemn yet celebratory farewell” befitting a man of unwavering faith.
Thousands of faithful attended the funeral mass as Bukhungu Stadium including senior government officials led by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalai Mudavadi who represented President William Ruto.
The final rites and interment at St Joseph Cathedral will mark the culmination of a life dedicated to spiritual service and the growth of the Catholic Church in Western Kenya.
