Anglican dioceses of Mount Kenya

The Anglican dioceses of Mount Kenya are the Anglican presence in east-central, north and north-east Kenya; they are part of the Anglican Church of Kenya. The remaining dioceses of the Church area in the areas of Mombasa, of Maseno, and of Nakuru.

The Diocese of Fort Hall was renamed as Mount Kenya diocese in 1964, a few years after its erection from the Diocese of Mombasa; it was then split in 1975, into East and South; Kariuki, the last Bishop of Mount Kenya, became the first Bishop of Mount Kenya South. The Central diocese was split off in 1984, the West in 1993, and then Thika diocese (from the South and Central dioceses) in 1998.^[1] The present cathedral is St James's Cathedral Kiambu.^[2]

• 1961–1964: Obadiah Kariuki

• 1964–1975: Obadiah Kariuki
  • Esbon Ngaruiya, Assistant Bishop^[3]

• 1975–1976: Obadiah Kariuki (retired)^[4]
• 1976–1982: Sospeter Magua
• 1985–1995 : George Njuguna (resigned)^[5]
• 1996–2004: Peter Njenga^[6]
• 2004–2019: Timothy Ranji
• 2019–present: Charles Muturi (previously Assistant Bishop since 31 October 2010)^[7]

The Diocese of Mount Kenya East was erected from Mount Kenya diocese in 1975 and was itself then split on 1 July 1990, when Kirinyaga diocese was formed: Gitari was elected to that See, but the old cathedral of the eastern mountain diocese was in the new Embu diocese. On 1 July 1997, the Diocese was split again to create Mbeere diocese.^[8]

• 20 July 1975 – 1990: David Gitari (became first Bishop of Kirinyaga)
  • July 1984 – 1989: Bob Beak, Assistant Bishop of Marsabit^[9]

• 1990–2006: Moses Njue
• 2 July 2006 – 2014: Henry Kathii (retired)^[10]
• 7 December 2014 – present: David Muriithi

Erected in 1984^[11] on the division of Mount Kenya South diocese, the Central diocese was itself split in 1993 (Mount Kenya West) and in 1998 (Thika).^[12]

• 1984–1993: John Mahia-ini
• 1993–2003: Julius Gatambo
  • 16 June 2002 – present: Allan Waithaka, Assistant Bishop (also Archbishop's Commissary, i.e. acting bishop diocesan, 2015–2017)
• 2004–2015: Isaac Ng'ang'a
• 31 July 2017 – present: Timothy Gichere^[13]

The Kirinyaga diocese was created in July 1990 from the Diocese of Mount Kenya East; the Diocese of Meru was split from this diocese in 1997.^[14]

• 1991–1997: David Gitari (previously Bishop of Mount Kenya East; became Archbishop of Kenya and Bishop of Nairobi)
• 1997–2012: Daniel Ngoru
  • ?–2006 (died): William Waqo, Assistant Bishop and Provincial Secretary
• 9 December 2012 – present: Joseph Kibuchua^[15]

Mount Kenya West was erected in 1993 from Mount Kenya Central.^[16]

Between the diocese's erection and Chipman's consecration, the archdeacon, Domenic Mûthoga Ndaî, was Archbishop's Commissary (acting bishop).^[17]

• 4 July 1993 – 2004: Alfred Chipman
• 8 August 2004 – present: Joseph Kagûnda

The Diocese of Mbeere was erected from the Diocese of Embu on 1 July 1997.^[18]

• 26 October 1997 – ?: Gideon Ireri
• 12 October 2008 – present: Moses Nthuka

1 July 1997 also saw the creation of the Diocese of Meru from the Diocese of Kirinyaga.^[19]

• 1998–2002: Henry Paltridge
• 22 December 2002 – present: Charles Mwendwa

Thika diocese was created from portions of two dioceses — Mount Kenya South and Mount Kenya Central — on 1 July 1998.^[20]

At the first diocesan synod, 2 July 1998, John Mutonga, the archdeacon, was named the Archbishop's Commissary (i.e. acting bishop) until the first bishop's consecration.^[21]

• 31 January 1999 – ?: Gideon Githiga
• 2013–present: Julius Wanyoike

Marsabit, then in the Diocese of Kirinyaga, was erected into a Mission Area directly under the Archbishop in 2008 — it was therefore part of the All Saints' Cathedral Diocese — and eventually given autonomy as its own diocese in 2011.^[22]

Rob Martin was the bishop for the Mission Area from 2008, as a suffragan bishop of the Archbishop and therefore of the All Saints' Cathedral Diocese.

• 2011–2016: Rob Martin^[23][24]
• 2016–present: Daniel Qampicha Wario (consecrated 1 May 2016)^[25]

Similarly, Murang'a South was another Mission Area of All Saints' from 2008, but originally part of Kirinyaga diocese. It has been a diocese in its own right since 2013.

• 25 May 2014 – present: Julius Karanu Gicheru