Nakuru gets a New Shepherd as Pope Francis appoints Very Rev. Fr. Cleophas Oseso Tuka as Bishop of Nakuru

By KCCB Communications Team

The Holy Father Pope Francis has appointed Very Rev. Fr. Cleophas Oseso Tuka, as the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru.

The news of Fr. Oseso’s appointment was officially published in L’Osservatore Romano in Rome on 15th February 2023 at 12.00pm Rome time and 2.00pm Kenyan time.

The Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, His Excellency Archbishop Bert van Megen, also sent an official communication to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) communicating the same.

The Nuncio’s letter reads in part, “I have the honour and pleasure to inform you that His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed the Reverend Father Cleophas Oseso Tuka, as Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru. The Bishop-elect hails from the clergy of the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru.”

Bishop-elect Oseso has been serving as the Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru since 25th March 2019 when he was appointed by former Bishop of Nakuru and now Archbishop of Kisumu, Most Rev. Maurice Muhatia Makumba.

He was formerly the head of Nakuru Diocese Mission Appeal Office in New York, USA.

The Bishop-elect was born in 1967 in Naivasha. He went to St. Mary’s Molo Seminary for his spiritual studies. He then proceeded to St. Augustine Mabanga Senior Seminary to study philosophy and later to St. Mathias Mulumba Senior Seminary Tindinyo for his theological studies.

He was ordained priest for the Diocese of Nakuru in 1995. After ordination, he was posted to Holy Cross Parish, Shabaab, after which he went to study finance at the then Mwangaza College in 1996.

He served as the Financial Administrator of the diocese from 1997 to 2003. In 2003, he was sent to the Diocese of Syracuse in New York for mission appeal. While there, he served in the position of Parochial Vicar in Rochester Diocese. He came back to Kenya in 2013 and was posted to Mary Mother of God Parish in Kabarnet. He also served as Dean of Kabarnet Deanery. Until his appointment, the Bishop-elect was serving as the Father in Charge of Bahati Parish.