Pope Leo XIV has established a new Metropolitan Archdiocese of Eldoret and appointed the Bishop of Kakamega, Rt. Rev. Joseph Obanyi Sagwe, as its first Metropolitan Archbishop in a major reorganisation of the Catholic Church’s ecclesiastical structure in Kenya.
The historic announcement was made on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 2.00pm Kenyan time (12 noon in Rome), through an official notification addressed to Catholic bishops in Kenya by the Chargé d’Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Kenya.
The newly established Metropolitan Province of Eldoret will comprise the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Eldoret and four suffragan dioceses: Lodwar, Kapsabet, Kitale and Kericho.
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The development creates a new centre of metropolitan leadership for the Catholic Church in western and north-western Kenya, bringing five dioceses under one ecclesiastical province.
It also marks a significant redistribution of ecclesiastical jurisdictions, with three dioceses previously under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kisumu and another under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nairobi now placed under Eldoret.
Before the new arrangement, Lodwar, Kapsabet and Kitale were suffragan dioceses of Kisumu, while Kericho belonged to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nairobi.
The establishment of the new province is expected to strengthen pastoral coordination, cooperation and communion among the five dioceses while recognising the Catholic Church’s missionary expansion and growing pastoral presence across the region.
Bishop Obanyi Takes Historic Leadership Role
Archbishop-designate Joseph Obanyi Sagwe’s appointment comes after years of episcopal service, including his leadership of the Diocese of Kakamega and his recent role as Apostolic Administrator of Eldoret.
His appointment follows the transfer of Archbishop Dominic Kimengich, formerly Bishop of Eldoret, to the Archdiocese of Mombasa as Coadjutor Archbishop.
During the transition, Bishop Obanyi was entrusted with the pastoral and administrative leadership of Eldoret.
His elevation now places him at the head of the newly established Metropolitan Archdiocese, where he will lead the local Church in Eldoret and serve as metropolitan over the four suffragan dioceses.
The appointment marks another significant milestone in his ecclesiastical journey and places him at the centre of a new chapter in the Catholic Church’s organisation in Kenya.
Who Is Archbishop Joseph Obanyi Sagwe?
Born in 1967 in Kebiro, within the Catholic Diocese of Kisii, Joseph Obanyi Sagwe began his priestly formation at St Augustine Major Seminary in Mabanga, where he undertook philosophical studies between 1990 and 1991.
He later proceeded to St Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi, where he studied theology from 1992 to 1995.
He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Kisii on October 25, 1996.
Following his ordination, he served as a Parish Vicar and Diocesan Coordinator for Pastoral Care between 1996 and 1999 before proceeding to the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome for further studies from 1999 to 2004.
Upon returning to Kenya, he was appointed Parish Priest of St Charles Lwanga Cathedral Parish in Kisii in 2004. He subsequently served as Vicar General of the Diocese of Kisii.
On December 5, 2014, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Kakamega, succeeding the late Bishop Philip Sulumeti.
He received episcopal ordination on March 7, 2015, at Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega. Between 2018 and 2022, he also served as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Bungoma.
His appointment as the first Metropolitan Archbishop of Eldoret represents a new chapter in a ministry spanning three decades since his priestly ordination.
Eldoret’s Journey To Metropolitan Status
The Diocese of Eldoret traces its origins to June 29, 1953, when it was established as the Apostolic Prefecture of Eldoret from territory previously under the Diocese of Kisumu.
It was elevated to the status of a diocese on October 13, 1959, before becoming a suffragan see under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kisumu.
Over the decades, the Catholic Church expanded its missionary and pastoral presence across the region, leading to the establishment of additional dioceses to serve growing communities of faithful.
The Diocese of Lodwar was established in 1968 after being carved out of Eldoret, while Kitale was established in 1998 from territory previously under Eldoret.
Kapsabet became a diocese in 2025 following its separation from Eldoret.
Kericho, meanwhile, was established in 1995 from territory belonging to the Diocese of Nakuru and placed under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nairobi.
The new arrangement brings these dioceses together under Eldoret, creating a fresh ecclesiastical configuration that reflects decades of missionary growth and institutional development.
With Archbishop-designate Joseph Obanyi Sagwe at the helm, the Metropolitan Province of Eldoret begins a new chapter in the history of the Catholic Church in Kenya.
Catholic faithful across Eldoret, Lodwar, Kapsabet, Kitale and Kericho have been invited to accompany their new Metropolitan Archbishop with prayers as he prepares to undertake his new responsibilities and serve the wider Church.
