The Catholic Church in Kenya is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Kenyan Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Pope in the Vatican City.
The earliest traces of the Catholic Church in Kenya begin with the missionaries that penetrated the state in 1498, led by Vasco da Gama. Due to regional conflict, poor transportation, and a largely nomadic presence, it became more established in northern Kenya during the twentieth century.
Demographics
According to the Catholic Church official records, there are over 18 million baptised Catholics in Kenya (nearly 40% of the country's population). According to the 2019 national housing census, 10.6 million Catholics in Kenya are strict adherents and attend Mass regularly.
In 2020, there were over 3,644 priests working across more than 1,100 parishes.
Organization
Within Kenya the hierarchy consists of:
- Archbishopric
- Bishopric
Notable Catholics in Kenya
- Moody Awori, former Vice President of Kenya
- Tere at Santa Clara University
- Ngina Kenyatta, former First Lady of Kenya
- Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya
- Mwai Kibaki, former President of Kenya
- Patrick Ngugi Njoroge, governor of the Central Bank of Kenya.
See also
- Religion in Kenya
- Vicariate Apostolic of Isiolo
- List of saints from Africa
References
External links
- Kenya Episcopal Conference
