Bishop John Kiplimo Lelei

Bishop John Kiplimo Lelei was born on 15 August 1958 in Soy, in the diocese of Eldoret. He studied philosophy at Saint Augustine’s Senior Seminary in Mabanga, and theology at Saint Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi. He was ordained a priest on 26 October 1985 for the diocese of Eldoret. He was awarded a doctorate in theology, specializing in liturgy, from the Universität Wien. He has held the following offices: parish vicar in Suwerwa and Chepterit (1985-1987), parish priest in Yamumbi, Suwerwa, Chepterit and Tachasis, and vicar forane of the deaneries of Kitale and Nandi (1987-1996), parish collaborator at St. Brigitta and Zum Gottlichen Erloser, in the archdiocese of Vienna (1996-2002), parish priest of St. Patrick in Kapcherop (2002-2003) and St. Boniface in Tindinyo (2003-2007), lecturer in the following institutes: AMECEA Pastoral Institute in Gaba (2003-2004); Institute of Development Studies in Kobujoi (2004-2009) and at the St. Matthias Mulumba Senior Seminary Tindinyo (2003-2008), parish priest of St. Peter’s in Kapsabet (2007-2008), lecturer and formator of St. Matthias Mulumba Senior Seminary in Tindinyo (2008-2017), rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi (2017-2023) and vicar general of Eldoret. On 27 March 2024 he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Eldoret, receiving the titular see of Mons in Numidia; he was ordained a bishop the following 25 May.