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Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Jackson Murugara as the Coadjutor Bishop of Meru. A coadjutor bishop assists the diocesan bishop in overseeing the diocese.
Fr. Murugara is a member of the Consolata Missionaries. Prior to his appointment, he served at the Consolata Shrine in Westlands, Nairobi.
The Catholic Church officially announced his appointment in the L’Osservatore Romano in Rome on January 16, 2025. The Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, Archbishop Bert Van Megen, also informed the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) about the appointment through an official message.
KCCB expressed that his appointment is a reflection of his years of service, faith, and dedication to improving the lives of others.
Born in 1970 in Kamanyaki, Tharaka Nithi County, Fr. Murugara is the fifth of ten children in his family. He began his priestly journey during his early education at Muthitwa Primary School from 1981 to 1988, then attended Mitiri Boys’ School in 1989, and later studied at St. Pius X Minor Seminary in Nkubu, Meru, from 1990 to 1992.
From 1993 to 1996, he studied Philosophy and Religious Studies at Consolata Philosophicum and graduated with a degree from the Pontifical Urbanian University. He completed his novitiate at Sagana from 1996 to 1997 and made his first religious vows in 1997.
Fr. Murugara deepened his spiritual and academic formation by studying Theology at the Missionary Institute of London, affiliated with Middlesex University, between 1997 and 2001. He made his final religious profession on November 18, 2000, and was ordained to the diaconate the following day.
He was ordained a priest on August 15, 2001, at Matiri Parish in the Diocese of Meru.
Following his ordination, he served in several parishes, including Kagaene Parish (October 2001–March 2002), Mujwa Parish (April 2002–October 2002), and Chiga Parish in Kisumu Archdiocese (November 2002–July 2003). From August 2003 to May 2009, he was a formator for postulants at the Consolata Seminary.
Between 2009 and 2011, he earned a Licentiate in Spirituality from Teresianum University in Rome, graduating with first-class honors.
Upon returning to Kenya, he served at Bethany House in Sagana from 2011 to 2018, where he focused on retreats, Christian formation, and managing a Charity Home for Aged Women.
