Brother Kenneth Wanzala Okinda, 41, a member of the Brothers of St. Peter Claver who served in the Diocese of Kitui, Kenya, was part of a delegation visiting the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 2015. The photo was taken during a boat cruise on the St. Croix River. At left is Mary Jo Voxland, chair of the Center for Mission’s Delegations Action Team.
At least 32 people were killed in southeastern Kenya Dec. 4 when a bus carrying a Catholic choir plunged into the Enziu River, which was swollen by heavy rain. Among those killed was Brother Kenneth Wanzala Okinda, 41, from the Diocese of Kitui, who visited the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 2015 as part of a special relationship between the two dioceses.
“Brother Kenneth was often sought out for advice in Kitui,” said Mary Jo Voxland, chair of the Delegation Action Team for the Center for Mission in the archdiocese. “He was so nice; just a gentle soul. He loved his time here in Minnesota.” Brother Kenneth was a member of the Brothers of St. Peter Claver.
The archdiocese and the Diocese of Kitui started a partnership in 2004 in response to the U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter, “A Call to Solidarity with Africa.” Every other year, to learn from one another, the Kitui diocese or the archdiocese sends a delegation to visit the other.
The 51-person-capacity bus reportedly was overloaded after more people jumped on board as it began crossing the river. Passengers were traveling to a marriage vow renewal service for an elderly couple.
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