The Catholic Diocese of Kitui was established as an Apostolic Prefecture in October 1956 and entrusted to the St. Patrick’s Missionary Society. It was elevated to the status of a Diocese on 16th November 1963, with Monsignor William Dunne becoming the first Bishop of Kitui.
The first missionaries to evangelize Kitui were the Holy Ghost Fathers from Kabaa (Machakos) in the early 1930s. At the same time, the Consolata Missionaries from Meru were evangelizing the northern region of Kitui, now known as Kimangao. The first mission station in the Diocese was established at Mutune in 1945.
The first diocesan priests of the Diocese were Fr. Peter Muema and the late Archbishop Boniface Lele, who were ordained on 8th December 1974. The first Kamba nun to profess religious vows was Sr. Teresia Muli of the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi from Boma Parish, who made her first profession on 6th January 1973 at St. Austin’s, Nairobi.
The late Archbishop Boniface Lele succeeded Bishop William Dunne on 2nd February 1996 and served the Diocese until 2005, when he was appointed Archbishop of Mombasa. Following his transfer, the Diocese was overseen by the Diocesan Administrator, Fr. Paul Healy, until May 2007, when Rt. Rev. Bishop Martin Kivuva was appointed Apostolic Administrator.
In 2008, Rt. Rev. Anthony Muheria was appointed Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kitui and was installed on 9th August 2008. Following the retirement of Archbishop Peter Kairo, Bishop Anthony Muheria was appointed Archbishop of Nyeri Archdiocese in April 2017 and installed on 17th June 2017 at Christ the King Major Seminary, Nyeri.
Rev. Fr. Joseph Mwongela was appointed the fourth Bishop of Kitui Diocese on 17th March 2020. The news of his appointment was officially made public in Rome on Tuesday, 17th March 2020. His letter of appointment was communicated to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) by the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, His Excellency Archbishop Hubertus van Megen. He was installed as Bishop of Kitui Diocese on 29th August 2020 at St. Charles Lwanga Grounds, Kitui.
Bishop Joseph Mwongela faithfully served the Diocese until 4th January 2026, when he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Machakos Diocese. His reception in the Diocese of Machakos took place on 19th March 2026 at Kenyatta Stadium. On the same day, the Apostolic Nuncio announced that Bishop Mwongela would continue serving as the Apostolic Administrator of Kitui Diocese until a substantive bishop is appointed.
On 27th May 2026, Pope Leo XIV appointed Monsignor John Mbua Mwandi as the fifth Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kitui. The announcement was officially
communicated through the Apostolic Nunciature in Kenya. Before his appointment, Bishop-elect Monsignor John Mwandi was serving as the Vicar General of the Diocese of Kitui and Father in Charge of Mulutu Parish.
The Catholic Diocese of Kitui is located within the Ecclesiastical Province of Nairobi in Kenya. It covers the entire Kitui County, comprising eight sub-counties. The Diocese occupies an arid and semi-arid area of approximately 30,496.4 square kilometres in Eastern Kenya, with a population of about 240,000
baptized Catholics.
The Diocese consists of 37 parishes in six deaneries: Northern Deanery with 5 parishes, Western Deanery with 9 parishes, Central Deanery with 7 parishes,
Southern Deanery with 5 parishes, Yatta Deanery with 4 parishes, and Eastern Deanery with 7 parishes.
Currently, there are 100 diocesan priests, 14 deacons, 68 seminarians, and two missionary priests of the Holy Ghost Fathers working in Kamuw’ongo Parish.
There are also various congregations of religious men and women serving in the Diocese, with the Daughters of Jesus the Good Shepherd (DOJGS) being the
diocesan congregation.
The Diocese of Kitui has various departments that help in achieving its vision and mission goals. These departments include Pastoral, Education, Health,
Finance, Caritas, Vocations, and the Bishop’s Office.
Currently, Rt. Rev. Joseph Mwongela continues to serve as the Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Kitui pending the episcopal installation of Bishop-elect Monsignor John Mbua Mwandi.
Our Vision
To be a Christ-Centered and Christ-modeled community
Our Mission
To bring about the Kingdom of God through advocating for peaceful coexistence, evangelization, charity and works of Mercy.
Our Core Values
The Diocese of Kitui believes in the following core values and seeks to live and promote them in all aspects of her life.
- Love for God, Love of Neighbour
- Dignity – We are guided and live by Christian values that always promote the life and dignity of the human person in all circumstances.
- Equity – We believe everyone deserves a dignified life, and fair access to justice and opportunities, this includes caring for the poor and vulnerable
members of our community. - Solidarity, community, and participation.
- Call to family – We believe that family is the first step towards creating a strong church, it should be prioritized.
- Faithfulness, Peace, and Forgiveness.
- Honesty, Integrity, and Responsible stewardship
- Care for the Environment – In all our actions, we strive to protect the environment; we strive for an optimal balance between human and
environmental wellbeing. - Social Justice