The Catholic Diocese of Bungoma is facing growing internal turbulence amid mounting disquiet over the leadership of Bishop Mark Kadima, with sections of the clergy and lay faithful openly questioning the direction in which the Diocese is being driven.
The Diocese has repeatedly drawn adverse attention since Bishop Kadima assumed office, with critics accusing him of centralising authority, disregarding established ecclesiastical procedures and presiding over what they describe as an increasingly disordered administration.
Previous reporting by this publication exposed how the Bishop had effectively shifted key diocesan operations to neighbouring Kakamega Diocese, running Bungoma Diocese affairs from a command centre based at his privately constructed residence in Kholera ward, Matungu Constituency.
Following public scrutiny, faithful say the Bishop was compelled to relocate back to Bungoma, although sources indicate he continues to oversee diocesan planning intermittently from his Kakamega home.
MUSHROOMING NEW PARISHES
The latest flashpoint centres on the controversial and rapid creation of new parishes, which critics say has been carried out without a coherent policy framework or regard for sustainability.
Faithful accuse the Bishop of establishing parishes that lack both financial viability and pastoral capacity, while simultaneously exerting pressure on Christians to affiliate with them.
Sources within the Diocese reveal widespread defiance of directives to join the newly created parishes and sub parishes, with many believers opting to remain in their original parishes, citing the absence of a clear and credible policy on parish and sub parish creation.
In some instances, disillusioned congregants are reported to have crossed over to other denominations in protest.
Public sentiment has been laid bare on social media platforms, particularly following comments posted on a Facebook page congratulating Bishop Norman Wambua, who led the Diocese for two decades.
Contributors from Bungoma Diocese expressed nostalgia for his tenure, sharply contrasting his leadership with that of his successor.
“We really miss Bishop Wambua; the Diocese has never had someone like him,” read one widely shared comment.
Figures obtained by this publication show that Bishop Kadima, who has been in office for less than three years, has established 39 new parishes, doubling the number he inherited. He took over a Diocese with 33 parishes, it now stands at 72.
Faithful, church elders and sections of the clergy say many of these parishes were announced informally, sometimes in roadside declarations, without due process or consultation.
FADING SSCs
The knock on effect, they warn, has been the fragmentation of sub-parishes and Small Christian Communities (SCCs), traditionally regarded as the backbone of Catholic pastoral life.
Insiders say participation in SCCs has sharply declined, with some believers abandoning them altogether and restricting their engagement to Sunday Mass. Church sources caution that this trend poses a serious existential threat to the Diocese.
POLITICAL ALIGNMENT
Compounding the crisis are allegations of political partisanship. Bishop Kadima is accused of cultivating close ties with politicians and openly aligning himself with MP Tim Wetang’ula’s gubernatorial ambitions.
Multiple sources claim the Bishop has held private meetings to rally support for Wetang’ula, a move that has unsettled a section of the faithful and clergy.
More controversially, the Bishop is alleged to have encouraged priests to campaign for Hon Tim Wetang’ula arguing that his past financial support for the Diocese warrants electoral backing in return.
Such actions, critics say, risk entangling the Church in partisan politics and undermining its moral authority.
Attempts by senior and seasoned priests to rein in the Bishop are said to have been rebuffed. Sources allege that those who offered counsel were subsequently sidelined or reassigned to peripheral postings.
With tensions escalating, faithful are now pinning their hopes on intervention by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Apostolic Nuncio, urging decisive action to arrest what they describe as a rapid decline.
Without external mediation, they warn, the once vibrant Diocese of Bungoma risks sliding into irreversible institutional decay.