Coadjutor Bishop-elect of Meru Fr Jackson Murugara. /KCCB
Pope Francis has appointed Fr Jackson Murugara Coadjutor Bishop of Meru.
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop who helps the diocesan bishop run a diocese.
The Bishop-elect belongs to the congregation of the Consolata Missionaries.
Until his appointment, Fr Murugara was serving at the Consolata Shrine in Westlands, Nairobi.
The Catholic Church said news of his appointment was officially published in L’Ossevatore Romano in Rome on January 16, 2025.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, Archbishop Bert Van Megen also conveyed the message of the appointment to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) through an official communication.
“His appointment as Bishop is a testament to his years of service, commitment to his faith, and dedication to uplifting the lives of others,” KCCB said in a statement.
A fifth child in a family of 10, the Bishop-elect was born in 1970 in Kamanyaki, Tharaka Nithi county, Meru.
He started his journey into the priesthood at the basic education level while at Muthitwa Primary School, where he studied from 1981 to 1988.
He joined Mitiri Boys' School in 1989 and later attended St Pius X Minor Seminary in Nkubu, Meru, from 1990 to 1992.
From 1993 to 1996, he pursued a degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies at Consolata Philosophicum and graduated with a degree from the Pontifical Urbanian. He undertook his novitiate at Sagana in 1996 –1997, culminating in his first religious vows in 1997.
Fr Muragara’s spiritual journey deepened when continued his academic and spiritual growth by studying Theology at the Missionary Institute of London, affiliated with Middlesex University, between 1997 and 2001.
His commitment to the religious vocation was solidified on November 18, 2000, when he made his final religious profession, followed by his ordination to the diaconate the next day.
He was ordained a priest on August 15, 2001 at Matiri Parish in the Diocese of Meru.
After his ordination, he served in several parishes: Kagaene Parish (October 2001–March 2002), Mujwa Parish (April 2002–October 2002), and Chiga Parish in Kisumu Archdiocese (November 2002–July 2003).
From August 2003 to May 2009, he was a formator for postulants at the Consolata Seminary.
University in Rome
Between 2009 and 2011, he pursued a Licentiate in Spirituality at Teresianum University in Rome, graduating with first-class honors.
Upon his return, he served at Bethany House in Sagana from 2011 to 2018 where he focused on retreats, Christian formation, and the management of a Charity Home for Aged Women.
