WOTE, Kenya — Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Paul Kariuki Njiru as the first Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wote, appointing Auxiliary Bishop Simon Peter Kamomoe as Apostolic Administrator to oversee the diocese during the transition period.
The decision was announced in Rome on Wednesday, March 25, and communicated to the Kenyan episcopate through the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, Archbishop Bert Van Megen.
Bishop Kamomoe will temporarily assume both pastoral leadership and administrative responsibilities until a substantive appointment is made.
Church officials said the move is intended to ensure continuity in the governance of the diocese following Bishop Kariuki’s resignation, which comes after a period marked by health-related challenges.
Bishop Kariuki, born on March 11, 1963, in Kathunguri, Embu County, has served in the priesthood for more than three decades. He undertook philosophical studies at St. Joseph Seminary in Meru before proceeding to St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi for theological training. He was ordained a priest on March 1, 1993.
Before his appointment to Wote, Bishop Kariuki served as Bishop of Embu from 2009 to 2023, following his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI. During his tenure, he expanded pastoral programmes and oversaw the growth of church institutions, including health facilities affiliated with the Catholic Church.
He also served as chairman of the Catholic Health Commission of Kenya, where he supervised operations across numerous faith-based health facilities. His leadership in healthcare and pastoral outreach was widely credited with strengthening service delivery within church-run institutions.
Bishop Kariuki later became the pioneer bishop of the Diocese of Wote, tasked with establishing administrative structures, parishes, and pastoral programmes following the creation of the new ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
His role involved building foundational systems for the young diocese and coordinating clergy deployment.
The appointment of Bishop Kamomoe as Apostolic Administrator places him in charge of guiding the diocese through the interim period. In Catholic Church governance, an Apostolic Administrator manages diocesan affairs when the episcopal seat becomes vacant or when a bishop steps down due to health or other reasons.
The development follows recent restructuring within the Catholic Church in Kenya. In July 2025, Pope Leo XIV erected the Catholic Diocese of Kapsabet, carved from the Diocese of Eldoret, placing it under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kisumu.
At the time, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops announced the appointment of Rt. Rev. John Kiplimo Lelei, then Auxiliary Bishop of Eldoret, was the first bishop of the newly created diocese. The appointment marked his release from the titular See of Mount Numidia.
The acceptance of Bishop Kariuki’s resignation marks another leadership transition within Kenya’s Catholic hierarchy, as the Vatican continues to reorganise dioceses and manage succession in line with pastoral needs and administrative continuity.
