John Mbinda
John Mbinda C.S.Sp., is a Kenyan Catholic prelate who serves as the Bishop of the Roman [Catholic Diocese of Lodwar] since 2022. He was appointed bishop on 20 Jul 2022 by Pope Francis. He succeeded Bishop Dominic Kimengich, who was appointed Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret, Kenya.
Background and education
He was born on 5 May 1973 in Kanzalu Parish, in the Catholic Diocese of Machakos, Kenya. He attended St. Francis Misyani Primary School, graduating in 1988. He transferred to the Pope Paul VI Seminary where he matriculated in 1992.He joined the Congregation of the Holy Spirit in 1993. He studied philosophy at Spiritan Missionary Seminary, in Njiro, Archdiocese of Arusha in Tanzania from 1993 until 1996. He graduated from there with a Diploma in Philosophy and Religious Studies along with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy.
He studied at the Holy Spirit Novitiate Seminary at Magamba, Lushoto District in the Tanga Region of Tanzania for his novitiate year between 1996 and 1997. He then entered Tangaza University College in Nairobi, Kenya where he studied Theology from 1997 until 2002. He graduated from there with a Diploma in Mission Studies, in Social Communication and in Theology Studies and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology and Religious Studies.
Later, he graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Development Studies from Kimmage [Development Studies Centre] in Dublin, Ireland, where he studied from 2008 until 2010.
Priest
While still a seminarian, he took his perpetual vows as a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit on 12 October 2001. He was ordained a priest of the Holy Spirit Fathers on 18 May 2002. He served in that capacity until 4 April 2022.As a priest, he worked in various roles and different locations including as:
- Assistant parish priest responsible for pastoral work in Tangulbei Catholic Mission in Nakuru Catholic Diocese from 2002 until 2004.
- Parish priest and administrator at Kositei Catholic Mission in Nakuru Diocese from 2004 until 2008.
- Parish priest and administrator at St. Austin's Parish at Msongari in the Archdiocese of Nairobi from 2010 until 2015.
- Provincial Superior of the Province of Kenya and South Sudan from January 2015 until January 2021.
- Lecturer at Tangaza University College in Nairobi, Kenya from 2014 until 2022
- Consultor of the Local Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Nairobi from 2016 until 2022.
As bishop