Former Kakamega Bishop Philip Sulumeti dies aged 88

Veteran cleric and former Kakamega Catholic Diocese Bishop Philip Sulumeti has died aged 88.

Sulumeti passed away on Sunday night while undergoing treatment at Nairobi Hospital. His death was confirmed by Kakamega Catholic Diocese Bishop Joseph Obanyi, who urged the faithful to keep the late bishop’s family and the church in their prayers.

“It is with sadness that I communicate to you the passing on of our beloved Bishop Emeritus Rt. Rev. Philip Sulumeti in Nairobi Hospital last night at 11 pm,” Bishop Obanyi said in a memo circulated to Christians and clergy.

“To all the people of God of Kakamega, relatives and friends, we express our condolences and pledge our prayerful accompaniment during these difficult moments.”

Online, the news was met with sorrow from Catholic faithful and religious communities, who shared photos and fond memories of the late cleric during his years of service.

Born on August 15, 1937, in Kotur, Busia County, Bishop Sulumeti was a towering figure in the Catholic Church in Kenya. He studied both locally and abroad, attending the Pontifical North American College and graduating from St. Peter’s Pontifical College in Rome with a Licentiate and Doctorate in Canon Law.

He was ordained a priest on January 6, 1966, by Pope Paul VI, and began his episcopal career in 1972 as Auxiliary Bishop of Kisumu and Titular Bishop of Urci.

He later served briefly as Bishop of Kisumu before being appointed in 1978 as the founding Bishop of the Diocese of Kakamega, a position he held for more than three decades until his retirement in December 2014, when Pope Francis accepted his request to step down.

Bishop Sulumeti is remembered for his pivotal role in developing education and health facilities across Western Kenya and for his outspoken advocacy on social and moral issues.

His influence extended beyond the pulpit into national affairs, particularly during the National Constitutional Conference at the Bomas of Kenya in the early 2000s, which laid the groundwork for the 2010 Constitution.

He chaired a key consensus-building committee whose findings, popularly known as the “Sulumeti Report,” sought to reconcile political divisions over issues such as power-sharing, devolution, and the Kadhi’s courts.

During his long tenure, Bishop Sulumeti ordained many priests who later rose to leadership, among them Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba of Kisumu Archdiocese and Bishop Mark Kadima Wamukoya of the Bungoma Diocese.

He retired as Bishop Emeritus of Kakamega, leaving behind a legacy of faith, service, and unity that profoundly shaped both the Church and the nation.