“A source of great joy”: Kenyan Archbishop Welcomes Coadjutor Appointment, Explains Significance

He continued, “This is a source of great joy. I asked the Holy Father, and he accepted—not simply because you ask and you are given, but because the work is truly very great. I needed help, and I still need help, because as we move forward, responsibilities continue to increase.”

The Vatican announced the appointment of Bishop Dominic Kimengich of Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Eldoret as Coadjutor Archbishop of the Kenyan Metropolitan See on January 28, granting him the canonical right of succession to the current local ordinary, who will turn 74 on February 10.

According to Canon 403 §3 of the Code of Canon Law, a Coadjutor Bishop or Archbishop is given the right to automatically succeed the incumbent upon retirement, resignation, or death. This succession plan ensures continuity in pastoral governance and strategic oversight of an Episcopal See.

Born on 23 April 1961 in Kenya’s Baringo County, served by the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru, Bishop Kimengich has served in demanding roles within the Church’s hierarchy and governance.

Meanwhile, in the January 28 interview, Archbishop Kivuva urged the people of God under his pastoral care to embrace the newly appointed Coadjutor Archbishop and emphasized the need to foster a spirit of collaboration.

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“A source of great joy”: Kenyan Archbishop Welcomes Coadjutor Appointment, Explains Significance

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He said, “I would like to tell you to receive him with joy and to see that we work together. He is hardworking, industrious, and understands his apostolic mission. He is also God-fearing and very close to his people.”

The Kenyan-born Archbishop, who began his Episcopal ministry in the Catholic Diocese of Machakos in 2003, also invited the Clergy and members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL) serving in the Archdiocese to “receive the Shepherd who has been sent to us.”

“There are times when people ask why one of “our own” was not brought. Let us not have that mindset. ‘Our own’ is the one we are given by the Holy Father,” Archbishop Kivuva said.

He emphasized that “the goal of the Church is to ensure that people are not left without shepherds for a long time. It is important to have a shepherd close to his people. The work of a shepherd is the same wherever he is sent.”

The Local Ordinary of Mombasa expressed optimism that the Coadjutor Archbishop-elect will be visiting the Archdiocese soon for the people of God there “may see him, know him, and begin to get used to him—perhaps during the Archdiocesan Pilgrimage at the Our Lady of Hope, Bura,” which is scheduled for 28 February 2026.

“We will work together for nearly a year. It is not that he comes and then I leave; rather, we will plan the work together. Given the amount of work here, we would almost need about three Bishops because the area is vast and the responsibilities are many. This is work that requires a great deal of cooperation between us and the Christians,” Archbishop Kivuva said.

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.