A 55-year-old Italian Catholic priest, Sandro Ferretto, has left the priesthood and married a woman from Kenya
Ferretto, who previously served as a Catholic parish priest in Kasiela and Mochongoi in Baringo County, held his traditional wedding ceremony with Jepng’ok on Sunday, September 6.
The couple formalised their union through a Koito ceremony, a Kalenjin customary marriage rite that typically involves dowry negotiations and blessings from the families of the bride and groom.
Relatives, community elders, local leaders and Jepng’ok’s colleagues attended the ceremony, which marked the couple’s transition into married life.
Ferretto was ordained a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Padua in Italy before beginning his missionary work in Kenya in 2008.
During his years in Baringo, he served in Kasiela and Mochongoi under the Diocese of Nyahururu, where he became known for his pastoral work, youth programmes and community development initiatives.
He returned to Italy in December 2020 alongside fellow missionary priest Mariano Dal Ponte.
By 2023, Ferretto was leading a pastoral unit in Saletto, Borgo Veneto, where he was responsible for eight churches. He later stepped down from the position to take a period of reflection.
He subsequently returned to Kenya, where he reunited with Jepng’ok, whom he had met during his missionary service in Baringo.
The marriage has attracted attention in both Kenya and Italy, particularly because of Ferretto’s longstanding ties to the Baringo community and his decision to leave Catholic priesthood and embrace family life.
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