John Cardinal Njue, the Archbishop of Nairobi retires

By Rose Achiego, Nairobi, Wednesday, 4^th, January 2021

The Holy Father Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of John cardinal Njue as the Archbishop of Nairobi.
At the same time, he has appointed Nairobi Auxiliary Bishop Rt. Rev. David Kamau as the Apostolic Administrator of Nairobi Archdiocese. Bishop Kamau has been serving in the archdiocese since 22^nd December 1999 when he was appointed the Auxiliary Bishop of Nairobi.

The news was officially made public in Rome on Monday,4th, January 2021 at Noon, Rome Time (2.00 p.m. Kenyan Time). The acceptance letter of Cardinal Njue’s resignation and the appointment of Bishop Kamau was sent to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) by the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, His Excellency Archbishop Hubertus van Megen.

Cardinal Njue tendered his resignation upon attaining the mandatory retirement age for Bishops which is 75 years. The Cardinal was born in Kiriari village in Embu County, Kenya, in 1944.
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI appointed His Eminence Archbishop John Njue as Archbishop of Nairobi on 6^th, October 2007. He took over from the Late Archbishop Ndingi Mawana a’Nzeki who retired in October 2007 after attaining the retirement age of 75 years.

Later in a Consistory, on 24^th November 2007, the Pontiff elevated Most Rev. John Njue as Cardinal, becoming a member of the Sacred College of Cardinals. His Eminence John Cardinal Njue is the second Cardinal in the history of Kenya after the Servant of God Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga.

He served as the Chairman of the Seminary Episcopal Commission for Major Seminaries in Kenya from 1987 to 1991. He became the chairman of the Kenyan Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) from 1997 to 2003. He also served as the Chairman for KCCB – Catholic Justice and Peace Commission and Chairman of Development and Social Services Department Kenya Catholic Secretariat (KCS).

He was appointed Co-adjutor Archbishop of Nyeri on 9^th, March 2002. He was appointed the Apostolic Administrator of the Vicariate of Isiolo from 2005 – 2006 following the death of the Late Rt. Rev. Luigi Locati in the year 2000.

Cardinal Njue was appointed as the first Bishop of the newly created Diocese of Embu by His Holiness Pope John Paul II on 9th June 1986 and received his Episcopal consecration on 20^th September 1986.
He has served in Nairobi for about 13 years.