Pope Benedcit XVI has appointed the Auxiliary Bishop of Nairobi Archdiocese, Rt Rev Anthony Ireri Mukobo, the Apostolic Vicar of Isiolo.

The 57-year-old Consolata missionary succeeds Bishop Luigi Locati who was murdered last year.

The announcement was contained in a statement sent to CISA by the Apostolic Nunciature in Nairobi.

Rt Rev Mukobo has been auxiliary bishop of Nairobi since his Episcopal ordination on March 18, 2000.

The Vicariate of Isiolo fell vacant following the death of Bishop Locati on July 14, 2005. Six people, among them a priest of the vicariate, are facing murder charges in connection with the death.

Archbishop John Njue of Nyeri has been the apostolic administrator of Isiolo.

President Mwai Kibaki last December honoured the late Bishop Locati with the Silver Starof Kenya award for his missionary work in the area.

The Vicariate of Isiolo covers an area of 25,600 square kilometers, has a population of 116 900, of whom 27 300 are Catholics. There are 21 priests and 38 religious.

Bishop Mukobo was born on September 23, 1949 at Mufu village, Embu District. He studied his primary education at Mufu Primary School and later joined Kangaru Secondary School from 1968 to 1971.

In 1972, he joined the Consolata Missionaries and studied philosophy at St Thomas Aquinas Seminary until 1974. On December 9, 1978, he made his perpetual religious profession as a Consolata missionary, was ordained a deacon on December 10 that year and was ordained a priest on January 5, 1980 at Kyeni Parish, Embu.

He was posted to Karima Parish, Archdiocese of Nyeri, and from 1981 to 1983, studied at the Pontifical Institute of Spirituality Teresianum, Rome, acquiring a licentiate in spiritual theology.

From 1984 to 1990, he worked in various parishes in Colombia. In 1991, he returned to Kenya and was posted at the Consolata Seminary, Nairobi, as a formator and later worked in Timau Parish, Meru.

In 1995, he was appointed Parish Priest of KArima, Nyeri, at the same tineme he was visiting lecturer of missiology at Christ the King Seminary, Nyeri. He was also Consolata Missionaries Regional Councillor from 1996 to 1999.

Bishop Mukobo was consecrated bishop on March 18, 2000, after his appointment by Pope John Paul II on December 22, 1999, and assigned auxiliary bishop of Nairobi. The Archishop of Nairobi appointed him Vicar General and in charge of religious congregations and institutes of apostolic life.