Meru Catholic Diocese In Kenya Receives New Coadjutor Bishop
Nairobi Kenya
By Mukama Phillip Kahigiriza
RELIGION
The Holy Father Pope Francis has appointed Rev. Fr. Jackson Murugara, IMC. as Coadjutor Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Meru this afternoon
The Bishop Elect belongs to the Congregation of the Consolata Missionaries.
The News of Fr. Murugara’s appointment was officially published in L’Ossevatore Romano in Rome on 16th January 2025 at 12:00 pm Rome time and 2:00 pm Kenyan time.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya His Excellency, Archbishop Bert Van Megen also conveyed the message of the appointment to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) through an official communication.
Until his appointment, Bishop-Elect Murugara, was serving at Consolata Shrine, Westlands, Nairobi.
This appointnent folllows the recent historical apointment of a female prefect in the vatican who also belongs to the same congregation-Consolata Missionaries
The Bishop-elect was born in 1970 in Kamanyaki, Tharaka Nithi County, Meru. He is the fifth child in a family of ten. His journey into the priesthood began with his foundational education at Muthitwa Primary School, where he studied from 1981 to 1988. He proceeded to Mitiri Boys’s School for Form One in 1989 and later attended St. Pius X Minor Seminary in Nkubu, Meru, from 1990 to 1992. From 1993 to 1996, he pursued a degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies at Consolata Philosophicum and graduated with a degree from the Pontifical Urbanian.
University in Rome. His spiritual journey deepened when he undertook his novitiate at Sagana in 1996–1997, culminating in his first religious vows in 1997.
Continuing his academic and spiritual growth, he studied Theology at the Missionary Institute of London, affiliated with Middlesex University, between 1997 and 2001. His commitment to the religious vocation was solidified on 18th November 2000, when he made his final religious profession, followed by his ordination to the diaconate the next day. He was ordained a priest on 15th August 2001 at Matiri Parish in the Diocese of Meru.
The Bishop-elect’s pastoral work has been rich and diverse. After his ordination, he served in several parishes: Kagaene Parish (October 2001–March 2002), Mujwa Parish (April 2002–October 2002), and Chiga Parish in Kisumu Archdiocese (November 2002–July 2003). From August 2003 to May 2009, he was a formator for postulants at the Consolata Seminary.
Between 2009 and 2011, he pursued a Licentiate in Spirituality at Teresianum University in Rome, graduating with first-class honors. Upon his return, he served at Bethany House in Sagana from 2011 to 2018. There, he focused on retreats, Christian formation, and the management of a Charity Home for Aged Women.
Most recently, the Bishop-elect has been serving at Consolata Shrine in Westlands, Nairobi, continuing his dedication to spiritual leadership and pastoral care.
His appointment as Bishop is a testament to his years of service, commitment to his faith, and dedication to uplifting the lives of others.
