Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a' Nzeki Dies

A photo of the Archbishop Emeritus Raphael Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki
Archbishop Emeritus Raphael Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki
Twitter

UPDATE Tuesday March 31: President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy president sent messages of condolences to the family of the late Archbishop Raphael Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki.

President Uhuru Kenyatta eulogised the diseased as 'a loving and outstanding man of God whose servant leadership shall be missed by Kenyans."

"We are devastated at the loss of His Grace Archbishop Emeritus Raphael Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki. He was a towering and progressive spiritual figure who relentlessly advocated for equal justice in our society. A moral enthusiast, focussed and selfless leader with an enduring love for everyone, Mwana a'Nzeki was humble, persuasive and prolific; he will be fondly remembered for working for the greater good of the people of Kenya," tributed Deputy President William Ruto.


The Catholic fraternity is in mourning after the announcement of the death of retired Archbishop Raphael Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki.

Retired Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki holds prayers at the Limuru Cheshire Home, Kiambu County on September 18, 2009.
Retired Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a' Nzeki holds prayers at the Limuru Cheshire Home, Kiambu County on September 18, 2009.
Daily Nation

According to a statement shared by the Archdiocese of Nairobi on Tuesday, March 31, the death of the retired archbishop was made public by His Eminence John Cardinal Njue.

"A sombre morning as His Eminence John Cardinal Njue has announced the passing on of His Grace Archbishop Emeritus Raphael Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki. Let us pray for the repose of his soul," read the statement in part.

The archbishop died at the Clergy House in Nairobi according to Archbishop Antony Muheria of Nyeri Diocese.

“It is true Archbishop passed on last night. Let us pray for him and also pray for ourselves," Muheria told Capital FM.

He passed away aged 88 after battling illness for a long time. It was not immediately clear what had caused his death.

Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki was a retired Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi.

In 2019, the archbishop made history in Kenya as he celebrated 50 years since his ordination as Bishop by Pope Paul VI in Uganda in his historic African visit.

He served in many leadership roles since being appointed as Bishop of Machakos in 1969 including as an assistant priest at Makadara and Nairobi.

He also served as Education Secretary-General of Catholic Bishops, was a student at Rochester College, New York, served as a Bishop of Nakuru and finally the Archbishop of Nairobi.

He stepped into the limelight after fiercely opposing the then Kanu government's directive that voters were to line up behind their candidates during elections.

During his reign as Nairobi Archbishop, Ndingi invested in the education of both his priest and other people to further their studies.

Below is a video of Ndingi speaking in 2009:

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