The Catholic Church in Kenya is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Kenyan Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Pope in the Vatican City.
The earliest traces of the Catholic Church in Kenya begin with the missionaries that penetrated the state in 1498, led by Vasco da Gama. Due to regional conflict, poor transportation, and a largely nomadic presence, it became more established in northern Kenya during the twentieth century.
Demographics
According to the 2019 census, 20.6% of the population were Catholic (approximately 10.6 million people).
In 2020, there were over 3,644 priests working across more than 1100 parishes.
Organization
Within Kenya the hierarchy consists of:
- Archbishopric
- Bishopric
Notable Catholics in Kenya
- Moody Awori, former Vice President of Kenya
- Teresia Mbari Hinga, professor at Santa Clara University
- Ngina Kenyatta, former First Lady of Kenya
- Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya
- Mwai Kibaki, former President of Kenya
- Patrick Ngugi Njoroge, governor of the Central Bank of Kenya.
