The Holy Father Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, July 10 announced the establishment of the new Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet and proceeded to appoint Rt. Rev. John Kiplimo Lelei as its new Bishop.
The new diocese has been formed from the larger Catholic Diocese of Eldoret and is meant to serve the whole of Nandi County.
Rev. Kiplimo is currently the Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret and will be taking his new role as the First Bishop of the new Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet.
Rev. Kiplimo was born on August 15, 1958, in Soy within the Eldoret Diocese, and ordained as a priest on October 26, 1985.
He has pursued philosophy at St. Augustine’s Senior Seminary in Mabanga and theology at St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi.
He earned a Doctorate in Theology from the University of Vienna.
Bishop Kiplimo has served as a parish priest in several parishes such as Yamumbi, Chepterit, Kapcherop and Tindinyo.
He taught at AMECEA Pastoral Institute and St. Matthias Mulumba Seminary and also served as Rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi from 2017 to 2023.
Before he was appointed as the auxiliary bishop of Eldoret in March 2024, he served as the Vicar General of the Diocese of Eldoret.
He will be installed as the Bishop of Kapsabet on 30th August 2025.
