Pope Francis appoints Archbishop Phillip Anyolo to head Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi

This follows John Cardinal Njue’s retirement in January, who served in the position since 2007. 

According to the Kenya Catholic Media Network, Rev. Anyolo’s appointment was first announced through publication in L’Osservatore Romano, Vatican City State’s daily newspaper, on Thursday. 

Archbishop Bert Van Megen, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, also sent an official communication to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) about Rev. Anyolo’s appointment.  

Anyolo served as the chairman of KCCB from October 2013 to May 2021.  

Nairobi Auxiliary Bishop David Kamau has been the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Nairobi since Cardinal Njue retired.  

Rev. Anyolo was born on May 18, 1956 in Tongaren, Bungoma. He was ordained a priest for the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret in 1983.  

Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Kericho on December 6, 1995, and was consecrated as Bishop of Kericho on February 3, 1996.  

On February 20, 2002, Father John Paul II appointed him as Apostolic Administrator of Homabay upon the resignation of Rt. Rev. Linus Okok Okwach.  

He was installed as Bishop of Homabay on May 23, 2003, and on January 16, 2019, as the Archbishop of Kisumu.