The Catholic Diocese of Eldoret (CDE), currently under the episcopacy of Rt. Rev. Dominic Kimengich, has its roots in the Vicariate of the Upper Nile. Beginning in the Kisumu area, the Mill Hill Missionaries established a mission in Naivasha in 1906. Eldoret evolved into a resident mission station in 1929, where the Mill Hill Fathers erected the initial church, St. John the Baptist. Today, the Sacred Heart Cathedral stands on the same grounds, alongside the original church which, until the recent establishment of the St. John Amani Centre Diocesan Project, served as the Catholic Bookshop.
The Catholic Diocese of Eldoret was created a Prefecture from Kisumu Diocese in 1954. Msgr. Joseph Brendan Houlihan was appointed the Prefect Apostolic. On the 13th October 1959, Eldoret became a Diocese and Rt. Rev. Joseph Brendan Houlihan was consecrated its first Bishop. He was a member of St. Patrick’s Missionary Society that arrived in the Diocese in 1952 to support the Mill Hill Fathers. At this time of inception, the Diocese covered the present Diocese of Eldoret, Nakuru, Lodwar, some parts of Kakamega and Bungoma Diocese. In 1968, Nakuru became a Diocese and Lodwar a Prefecture Apostolic the same year.
Bishop Joseph Brendan Houlihan achieved quite a lot for the Diocese of Eldoret. Among his major achievements was the foundation of the Congregation of the Assumption Sisters of Eldoret (1962). He also oversaw the transfer of the Mother of Apostles Minor Seminary from Matunda to Eldoret and the construction of St. John XXIII Pro-Cathedral located at the Mother of Apostles Minor Seminary.
In 1969, Fr. Emilio Njeru was appointed the Auxiliary Bishop of Eldoret but unfortunately, he died in a road accident on 12th September 1970. Immediately, Fr. John Njenga of the Archdiocese of Nairobi was appointed to shepherd the Diocese of Eldoret. Until his appointment, Fr. John Njenga had been working as Education Secretary in the Kenya Catholic Secretariat, now Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB).
On 22nd November 1970, Msgr. John Njenga was installed as the new Bishop of Eldoret. During his Episcopate the number of parishes and schools increased drastically. In 1972, he established the Mitume Pastoral and Catechetical Centre, Kitale, for the formation of Catechists and other lay leaders. He also welcomed new missionaries in the early 1970s to the Diocese particularly the Missionary Benedictines, the Maryknoll Fathers, the Carmelites as well as the Comboni Missionaries.
The Year 1972 was a landmark year for the Mother of Apostles’ Seminary Matunda. Fr. Peter Kairo (now Archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Nyeri) was ordained a Priest for Nakuru Diocese. In the same year, Fr. George Cheboryot was ordained for Kisumu Diocese but later joined Eldoret Diocese when Nandi district became part of the larger Eldoret Diocese in 1975. Fr. Isaac Mbuthia would later become the first Diocesan Priest of the Diocese of Eldoret. In 1975, Fr. Michael Toror was ordained to Priesthood, then, in 1976, Frs. Peter Njoroge and George Gichuhi were also ordained. In 1977, Fr. Joseph Kambo and Fr. Francis Ruiru were ordained. In 1978, the ordination of Frs. Benjamin Kiriswa, Joseph Njino and Joseph Kimotho (now in Kitale Diocese) brought the number of Diocesan Priests incardinated in the Diocese to seven.
Following the transfer of Bishop John Njenga to be the Archbishop of Mombasa in 1988, Fr. Tom Smith, the then Vicar General of the Diocese, was appointed the Diocesan Administrator for Eldoret, a duty he carried out until the appointment of a new Bishop. In April 1990, Rt. Rev. Cornelius Kipng’eno Arap Korir was appointed the third Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Eldoret. He was installed Bishop on 2nd June 1990. Bishop Korir adopted the moto: “Work for the Food that Endures to Eternal Life”. This motto emphasized his stress on the enduring significance of spiritual matters throughout his episcopate, focusing keenly on matters of faith and development.
He invited new missionaries that included the Divine Word Missionaries (SVDs), the Salvatorians, the Augustinians and the Contemplative Evangelizers. Following the politically instigated ethnic clashes in 1992 and subsequent electioneering years, Bishop Korir proved, in God’s providence, the right person in the right place at the right time. He played a critical role in championing the coexistence of different tribes in Rift Valley. He also brokered peace among the warring communities and the cattle rustlers among the Marakwet and Pokot Kalenjin subtribes in the volatile Kerio Valley Region.
Following the demise of Bishop Cornelius Kipng’eno Arap Korir on the 30th October 2017, Rt. Rev. Maurice Crowley of the Catholic Diocese of Kitale was appointed the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese. For about two years, he steered the Diocese steadily until Rome identified a new Bishop for the Vacant See of Eldoret Diocese. During his leadership he enhanced the unity of the Clergy, the members of Consecrated Life and the Laity.
On 16th November 2019, Rt. Rev. Dominic Kimengich, the then Bishop of Lodwar Diocese, was appointed Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret and the Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar. He was installed on 1st February 2020 to succeed the late Bishop Korir, choosing as his motto: Serve the Lord with Gladness.
Following his installation, Bishop Dominic Kimengich promptly convened a Diocesan Synod 2021-2023 aimed at assisting him in fostering unity, formulating regulations and pastoral plans to address the spiritual, human, and administrative needs of the diocese. The Synod focused on various themes, including the establishment of a new organizational structure and the creation of pastoral regions encompassing Nandi, Uasin Gishu, and Elgeyo Marakwet.
In January 2024, Bishop Kimengich, with visionary foresight, has spearheaded the formulation of this five-year Strategic Plan as a crucial tool for achieving the Synod's objectives. This plan is designed to guide and empower the Diocese in its spiritual and developmental initiatives, ensuring coherence, progress, and unity in advancing the Kingdom of God within the Diocese. Given the positive developments in the diocese, the bishop noted the need for an Auxiliary. The Holy Father, Pope Francis on 28th March 2024 appointed the then Fr. John Kiplimo Arap Lelei. He was consecrated on 25th May 2024 with his Motto as Feed My Lambs (Jn. 21:15).