Kenya bishop suspends 7 priests, announces new clergy accountability measures

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…