Bishop Alfred Rotich, a former military chaplain on Saturday, February 15 took over as the new head of Kericho Catholic Diocese.
Rotich was installed in a ceremony that was graced by Deputy President William Ruto, Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen, Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi among many others
The former military chaplain was first appointed as bishop to the Kericho Diocese by Pope Francis on December 14, 2019.
The news of the appointment of Bishop Rotich was officially made public in Rome on December 14, 2019, at noon. The letter of his appointment was sent to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) by the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, His Excellency Archbishop Bert van Megen.
He will replace the current Bishop of Kericho, Rt Rev Emmanuel Okombo, who retired having clocked 75, the official retirement age for bishops.
Rotich was the bishop emeritus of the Military Ordinariate from where he resigned on December 30, 2016, upon attaining the retirement age of 55 years as required in the military service.
Bishop Rotich was born on July 27, 1957, at Tegat Village, Longisa in present-day Bomet County. He joined St Augustine Major Seminary, Mabanga, from 1977 – 1979 for his philosophy training before joining St Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, Langata, from 1979 – 1983 for theology training.
He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Nakuru on November 18, 1983, by the Archbishop Emeritus of Nairobi (then Bishop of Nakuru), Most Rev Ndingi Mwana wa’ Nzeki.
On March 9, 1996, he was appointed as Auxilliary Bishop of Nairobi and on the same date, he was appointed as Titular Bishop of Iulium Carnicum.
