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Kenya bishop suspends 7 priests, announces new clergy accountability measures

July 16, 2026 · 1 min read

MARALAL, Kenya — Bishop Hieronymus Emusugut Joya of Kenyaʼs Catholic Diocese of Maralal announced in a pastoral letter a series of clergy accountability measures and suspended seven priests, saying the decisions follow an assessment of the diocese and “credible information” concerning clergy conduct and the administration of Church property.

In the letter, Joya reflected on his nearly four years of episcopal ministry since taking charge of the Maralal Diocese in October 2022, outlining financial, administrative, and pastoral challenges he said he encountered upon his arrival and the reforms he has since undertaken.

“It is painful to state that I found the diocese with multiple problems but no one was willing to tell me the cause of the problems and how to get the solution,” he wrote in the four-page letter dated July 12.

The Kenyan-born member of the Institute of the Consolata Missionaries wrote that, alongside seeking donations and grants to support the diocese, he initiated assessments, financial audits, restructuring, and debt repayment.

“That helped me to conduct assessment of the diocese, carry out audits in all parishes, institutions, offices; set up systems and…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (8) 🌐 Show original

Екатерина Попова

It’s a pity that the bishop had to sort through all this alone when he arrived in 2022. It’s good that at least I carried out audits and took measures - there’s no way without it. And what kind of “credible information” about the property, I wonder if it went to court or only within the diocese?

Георгий Иванов

It's a pity that I was really alone. Audits are right; without them, property is a complete mess. I wonder in which particular parishes the problems surfaced, did the letter say anything about this?

Ольга Попова

It’s a pity, yes, one is not a warrior alone in the field. The letter does not name specific parishes, only general words about “credible information” and property management. What do you think, is it worth listing such things publicly or is it better to sort them out within the diocese?

Евгения Фёдорова

It’s a pity that the bishop had to carry out all this alone; indeed, one is not a warrior alone in the field. I would leave specific parishes and names within the diocese, so as not to give unnecessary reason for gossip among the laity. What do you think, if he named the parishes, would it help the cause or would it just add to the noise?

Полина Михайлова

It’s a pity that specific parishes were not named - because of this, everything looks like general words, and you immediately begin to guess where exactly the problems with property are. I would leave the analysis within the diocese, and publicly only the results: who was suspended and what new rules were introduced. What do you think, if he had given a couple of examples without names, would it have become clearer or only worse?

Софья Павлова

I agree, it would be really difficult for one bishop to sort everything out. Naming specific parishes would probably only add fuel to the fire of gossip, as you said. But if he had explained, at least in general terms, what kind of problems with property most often came up, this would, in my opinion, help the laity better understand what he was talking about.

Тимофей Виноградов

I agree, general examples of property problems would be useful - for example, if unaccounted leases or sales of church land without documents often come up. This would help people in their parishes to look more closely at what is happening. What parish do you usually go to?

Мария Козлова

I agree, naming parishes and names would only fuel conversations in our market and in church after services. It would be better if he wrote how money reports will now be checked, so that people can see that there will be order in the future. Do you think the laity should participate in such checks at all, or is this purely a bishop’s matter?