The Inception of Diocese of Eldoret

The ACK Diocese of Eldoret covers two counties of Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet. The Diocese was created on 1st January 1983 following the sub-division of Nakuru Diocese and subsequent inauguration on 5th June 1983, serving the administrative districts of Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Trans Nzoia, West Pokot and Turkana. In Terms of structural formation, it is part of Anglican Church of Kenya and thus subscribe to the ACK provincial constitution. Since its inception, the Diocese of Eldoret has been under stewardship of four Bishops notably; The Rt. Rev. Alexander Muge [1983-1990], The Rt. Rev. Stephen Kewasis [1992-1997], The Rt. Rev. Thomas Kogo [1997-2010] and The Rt. Rev. Dr. Christopher Rutto serving as the incumbent. Due to the vast area covered by the Diocese of Eldoret, the Diocese was further sub-divided, creating Kitale Diocese which was curved out of the Diocese of Eldoret in 1997 with The Rt. Rev. Stephen Kewasis opting to head the new Diocese which now serves Trans Nzoia, West Pokot and Turkana Counties. In 2015, Nandi County was curved out of the Diocese Eldoret creating Diocese of Kapsabet. The Diocese of Eldoret remains with two counties to serve namely; Elgeyo-Marakwet and Uasin Gishu counties and is headquartered in Eldoret town, Elgon View Estate.

 

The Right Rev. Alexander Kipsang' Muge (1st Bishop)

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The first bishop of ACK Eldoret Diocese [1983-1990] The Rt. Rev. Alexander Kipsang Muge was born in 1948, his father enrolled him in the Africa Inland Church Primary School at Tangaratwet where he received excellent marks in the standard four Common Entrance Examination in 1962. Later, Kipsang studied at the Anglican Mission School where he passed the Kenya Primary Education Examination.
Kipsang was converted and baptized on October 25, 1970 at St. Michael and All Angels Church in Ruiru and given the name Alexander by the Rev. John Kago. In 1973, three years after his conversion, he decided to resign from his work as a soldier and begin studies at St. Philip's Maseno Bible School. In 1975, he was ordained a deacon at St. Stephen's Church, Jogoo Road, in Nairobi. The following year, he was ordained a priest and made a curate there. Later, he served as a priest at St. Mark's Church, Westland, Nairobi, before going to London Bible School in Britain in 1979. While in London, his eloquence earned him many good friends and he became secretary to a Pan-African student body.
He graduated with a bachelor of arts in divinity from the London Bible School and returned to Kenya in June of 1982. He rejoined the diocese of Nairobi and on July 1st of that same year, he was appointed assistant provost of All Saints Cathedral. Muge served at All Saints for eleven months before being appointed bishop of the newly created diocese of Eldoret on June 5, 1983.

The Right Rev. Dr. Christopher Rutto (4th Bishop)

The fourth and current bishop of ACK Eldoret Diocese was Consecrated and Enthroned on 9th January 2011 after the retirement of the third Bishop. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Christopher Rutto was born and brought up in Plateau in Uasin Gishu County. He was enrolled in Plateau Primary School in 1972 and did Certificate of Primary Education in 1979 (C.P.E). Having passed with excellent marks in C.P.E, he went on to join Kapsabet Boys High School and did form four exams in 1983. He later joined Meru High School for higher education 1984 where he did and passed form six exams in 1986.

He later joined St. Paul's University and was awarded a Ba degree in Theology and was ordained as a priest and made a Deacon in 1991 by the Most Rev. Manases Kuria. He later went for further studies and joined All Nations College in the United Kingdom for Masters degree in 1993 and later University of Birmingham for PhD in Theology.

The places he has worked before becoming the fourth Bishop are as follows: -

The Bishop is Married to Mrs. Mirriam Rutto

The Right Rev. Stephen Kewasis Nyorsok (2nd Bishop)

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Sephen Kewasis Nyorsok was born on 18th August 1953 as the last born of Mzee Abraham Nyorsok Ngo’rianyang’ and Mama Maria Chepochepochot Ngo’rianyang’. His parents were strict disciplinarians who influenced strong personality in the young Kewasis. While waiting to join school Kewasis was a herd’s boy and retrospectively these formative years were a time of preparation for the young Kewasis for his later years of ministry because it taught him to be patient and persistent allowing him to develop a mantra of ‘’Never say die’’.

At the age of thirteen years a jubilant Kewasis was escorted by his mother to go to school through his elder brother Solomon. He went through baptism classes in 1967 and was baptized Stephen in November of the same year. Immediately he started catechism classes and was confirmed in December 1968 by the Bishop of Nakuru. In February 1967 he joined Katikit primary school in Amudat Uganda. After two years in Amudat he was transferred to Nasokol Primary school in class 3 in 1969.

Kewasis committed his life to the Lord Jesus in 1972 at the age of 19 years. In 1974 he, joined Chewoyet High School. He was zealously involved in the work of evangelism during school holidays. Together with his peers he actively participated in youth camps, conferences and missions. In 1975 while on mission work he met Rael who he married 6 years later in a colorful wedding at ACKImmanuel Nasokol Church on 4th April 1981. They are blessed with four children (Ann Chebet, Rehema Cheyech, Mark Poghon, and Emmanuel Ptoo). Now they are blessed with three grand children.

Stephen Kewasis began work as a teacher and evangelist in Karapokot on 7th February 1978 at Losam. In June the same year, the Archbishop Mannasses Kuria visited the Karapokot area in the company of World Vision Director. World vision intended to start a family to family project in Karapokot, Stephen Kewasis became the first worker in August 1978 after being trained by the World vision, the same month he was mandated to recruit children from the village to join school under the world vision Programme.

Stephen Kewasis was enrolled in St. Paul’s theological college in January 1984 for a diploma course in theology. In March 1985 he sat for a special exam to enable him pursue his degree course. He started his degree course in September the same year. He graduated with his degree in theology in 1988. He was ordained as a deacon of the church on 28th August 1988 and posted to be curate in charge to Kapkoimur Parish in Nandi. In January 1989 he was transferred to St. Matthews Cathedral in Eldoret as Curate in charge. On 26th February 1989 he was ordained priest by CPK Diocese of Eldoret Bishop the Rt. Rev'd Alexander Kipsang' Muge at St. Paul’s church Eldoret and posted back to St. Matthews Cathedral as the provost. The Rev'd Steven Kewasis was consecrated and enthroned as the 2nd Bishop of CPK Diocese of Eldoret on 12th January 1992 after the passing on of the first Bishop of the Diocese the Rt. Alexander Kipsang Muge.

The Diocese by then covered the greater North Rift region which included; Turkana, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Uasin-Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet and Nandi Counties. On 25th September 1994 during the 150th Anniversary celebrations of the Church of the Province of Kenya (CPK), Bishop Kewasis with the nod of the Synod created a new archdeaconry of Lodwar-Kapenguria. Bishop Kewasis served as the Bishop of the larger Eldoret Diocese for 6 1/2 years before the Diocese of Kitale was curved out from Eldoret on 1st July 1997. He was enthroned the first Bishop of Kitale Diocese on 20th July 1997.

The Right Rev. Thomas Kogo (3rd Bishop)

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