Lelei appointed first Bishop of new Diocese of Kapsabet after its erection by Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV has erected the new Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet, with territory taken from the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret, making it a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kisumu.

At the same time, the Holy Father has appointed Rt Rev John Kiplimo Lelei, currently the Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret, as the First Bishop of the new Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet, simultaneously releasing him from the titular See of Mount Numidia.

He will be installed as the Bishop of Kapsabet on 30th August 2025.

Bishop Lelei was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret that is under the leadership of Bishop Dominic Kimengich by the late Pope Francis in March 27, 2024 and installed on May 25, 2024.

Before then he had been serving as Vicar General of the Kenyan Diocese. He had also been assigned the titular See of Monte di Numidia in Italy.

Bishop Lelei, who was born in August 1958 in the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret, was ordained a Priest for the Diocese in October 1985 after completing his philosophical and theological studies from St. Augustine’s Mabanga Senior Seminary in Kenya’s Bungoma Diocese, and St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi Archdiocese, respectively.

As a Priest, he also served in various capacities, including Parish Priest and Dean.