Around 140 Catholic Bishops Expected for July AMECEA Plenary Assembly in Kenya

By Nicholas Waigwa

Nairobi, 17 June, 2026 / 6:45 pm (ACI Africa).

About 140 Catholic Bishops from across Eastern Africa are expected to gather in Nairobi, Kenya, for the 21st Plenary Assembly of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) scheduled for July 19–26.

In a video interview published by Radio Maria Tanzania on Tuesday, June 16, AMECEA Secretary General, Fr. Antony Makunde said the anticipated attendance reflects the growth of the regional Catholic Bishops’ association since its founding in Tanzania in July 1961.

“For those who may not know AMECEA, especially in relation to the Church in Tanzania, AMECEA was born here in Tanzania,” Fr. Makunde said, recalling that 47 Catholic Bishops met in Msimbazi, Dar es Salaam, for the gathering that established the nine-nation association.

Reflecting on the growth of the regional body over more than six decades, the Tanzanian-born AMECEA Secretary General said, “We are expecting about 140 Bishops at the meeting we are organizing next month.”

Fr. Makunde explained that the increase in participation is linked to the expansion of Dioceses across the AMECEA region, which now numbers 128 Dioceses.

“Some Dioceses have auxiliary Bishops,” the Clergy of Tanzania’s Catholic Archdiocese of Mbeya said, adding that retired Bishops who remain active in the Church’s mission have also been invited to the assembly.

The gathering, to be hosted by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), is set to take place at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) under the theme, “AMECEA's Synodal Journey with Young People: Building Bridges of Communion, Hope, Justice, and Good Governance.”

In a message shared with ACI Africa on April 14, AMECEA Chairman Bishop Charles Sampa Kasonde described the plenary assembly as an opportunity for the region’s Bishops to reflect together on issues affecting the Church and society.

“The plenary session is a fountain of hope,” said the Bishop of Zambia's Catholic Diocese of Solwezi, and added, “We want to look at issues affecting our region on politics, on governance, communion, justice, and religiosity; how we continue to be members of God's family, the Church of God.”

Bishop Kasonde expressed hope that the outcomes of the assembly would reach all levels of Church life across the region.

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The resolutions of the Plenary Assembly, he said, are expected “to have a trickle-down effect across the Church, moving from the national level to Dioceses or Archdioceses, then to Deaneries, Parishes, Small Christian Communities, outstations, and ultimately to individual members of the Church, as well as people of goodwill.”

AMECEA brings together the Catholic Episcopal Conferences of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Djibouti and Somalia participate as affiliated members.

Ahead of the gathering, CUEA Vice Chancellor, Fr. Prof. Stephen Mbugua Ngari has expressed confidence in the university’s readiness to host the event.

In a video recording shared on June 2, Fr. Ngari said preparations are “going on very well,” noting that resource mobilization efforts have progressed successfully and that the university has already made its contribution toward the event.

“The venue is well prepared,” the Clergy of Kenya’s Nakuru Catholic Diocese said, adding that CUEA has the capacity to accommodate between 800 and 1,000 participants during the regional assembly.

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.