Bishop Alexander Kipsang Muge

It is twenty-two years since Bishop Muge died but many Kenyans will remember him for his efforts in championing for democracy, fight against corruption, ethnicity and land grabbing. The clergyman was born in 1948 in Nandi County and became the first bishop of Eldoret Diocese.

source: abeingo.com

He started his schooling in the Africa Inland Church Primary School at Tangaratwet before finishing elementary schooling at the Anglican Mission School. He later enrolled at the St. Phillip’s Maseno Bible School after resigning his work as a soldier.

In 1975, he was ordained a deacon at St. Stephen’s Church Jogoo Road in Nairobi and after a year, he was ordained a priest. He later served as a priest at St. Marks’s Church Westlands before leaving for London Bible School, Britain.

In 1982, he returned home after graduating with a bachelor of arts in divinity from the London Bible School. He was then appointed assistant provost of All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi.  After eleven months at All Saints Cathedral he was appointed bishop of the newly created diocese of Eldoret.

During his time in Eldoret he was appointed the chair of the Kenya Anglican Youth Organization (KAYO), a position he held until his death. He believed in the power of the pulpit to transform and reform the society.

“When Muge set out for a mission, however dangerous it was, no one, not even his family could stop him. He was a man of depth and total commitment to the cause of truth. He had faith beyond the fear of death”

p. 27 of Nicholas Otieno’s ‘Beyond the Silence of Death: Life and Theology of the Late Bishop Alexander Kipsang Muge’

Bishop Muge is also remembered on his stand open stand against homosexuality made on May 17, 1990 during a visit to the USA. He based his condemnation on classical understanding of the Scriptures.

He remained true to his cause fighting for democracy until he met his unfateful death aged 44 years in a road accident on August 14, 1990 along the Eldoret-Turbo road after a Western Kenya visit.

Sources: dacb.org