John Kiplimo Lelei

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John Kiplimo Lelei
Bishop of Kapsabet, Kenya
Church Catholic Church
Archdiocese Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kisumu
See Roman Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet
Appointed10 July 2025
Installed30 August 2025
PredecessorNone (Diocese created)
Successor Incumbent
Previous post(s) Auxiliary Bishop of Eldoret
(27 March 2024 - 10 July 2025)
Orders
Ordination26 October 1985
Consecration25 May 2024
by  Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen
Personal details
Born
John Kiplimo Lelei

(1958-08-15) 15 August 1958 (age 67)
Soy, Prefecture Apostolic of Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

John Kiplimo Lelei (born 15 August 1958) is a Kenyan prelate of the Catholic Church who is the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet since 10 July 2025. Before then, since 27 March 2024, he was Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Eldoret. He concurrently served as Titular Bishop of Mons in Numidia, while auxiliary bishop. He was appointed bishop by Pope Francis on 27 March 2024. He was consecrated at the Mother of Apostles Seminary in Eldoret on 25 May 2024. On 10 July 2025, The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV transferred him to the Diocese of Kapsabet, a new diocese that he created that same day, and made him the local ordinary there. His installation at Kapsabet diocese followed on 30 August 2025 at the Eliud Kipchoge Sports Complex.

Contents

Early life and education

He was born on 15 August 1958 in Soy, Apostolic Prefecture of Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, in western Kenya. He studied philosophy at Saint Augustine's Senior Seminary in Mabanga, Bungoma County. He then transferred to Saint Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi, where he studied theology. He holds a Doctorate in theology, with specialization in liturgy awarded by the University of Vienna (German:Universität Wien). [1] [2]

Priest

John Kiplimo Lelei was ordained a priest on 26 October 1985 for the diocese of Eldoret. He served as a priest until 27 March 2024. [1] [2]

As a priest, he held several positions in various locations including: [2]

Bishop

On 27 March 2024, Pope Francis appointed hm auxiliary bishop of Eldoret, concurrently giving him the titular see of Mons in Numidia. [3] He was consecrated bishop at Eldoret on 25 May 2024. The Principal Consecrator was Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen, Titular Archbishop of Novaliciana assisted by Maurice Muhatia Makumba, Archbishop of Kisumu and Dominic Kimengich, Bishop of Eldoret. [1] [2]

On 10 July 2025, Pope Leo XIV created the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet by splitting the diocese of Eldoret. The Holy Father appointed Bishop John Kiplimo Lelei, previously auxiliary bishop of Eldoret as the pioneer bishop of the new diocese, a suffragan of the Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Province of Kisumu. His installation at Kapsabet is scheduled on 30 August 2025. [1] [2] [4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 David M. Cheney (11 July 2025). "MicroData Summary for Bishop John Kiplimo Lelei (born 15 August 1958) Bishop of Kapsabet". Catholic-Hierarchy.org . Kansas City. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Agenzia Fides (10 July 2025). "Africa/Kenya: Erection of the diocese of Kapsabet, Kenya and appointment of the first bishop". Agenzia Fides . Vatican City. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  3. AMECEA (30 March 2024). "Kenya: Former Rector of Seminary Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Kenya's Eldoret Diocese". Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA). Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  4. The Star Kenya (10 July 2025). "Pope Leo erects Diocese of Kapsabet, names John Lelei as first bishop". The Star (Kenya) . Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 22 July 2025.

Succession table

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Diocese created
(10 July 2025)
Bishop of Kapsabet
(since 10 July 2025)
Succeeded by
Unknown Auxiliary Bishop of Eldoret
(27 March 2024 - 10 July 2025)
Unknown
Titular church created Titular Bishop of Mons in Numidia
27 March 2024 – 10 July 2025
Succeeded by
Unknown