Background
KURIA, Manasses was born on July 22, 1929 in Limuru.
KURIA, Manasses was born on July 22, 1929 in Limuru.
He first attended Saint Paul"s School in Limuru in 1933. In 1935 he went to Ngecha School before going to Kabete Mission School in 1938 where he took the Kenya African Preliminary Examination in 1940.
At the age of 16 Kuria began a career in teaching. Between 1945 and 1954 he taught at Saint Peter"s Wangige school, a mission school, Ngecha Junior High School and Rironi Orthodox School. After a profound spiritual experience in 1950, Kuria resigned from teaching and took up full-time church work.
In January 1954, he enrolled in Saint Paul"s United Theological College, Limuru.
Kuria served as a special chaplain and then as an archdeacon, stationed in Eldoret. On April 25, 1970, he was consecrated assistant bishop of the diocese of Nakuru, by Archbishop Leonard Beecher.
In January 1976, he was enthroned Bishop of the diocese of Nakuru by Archbishop Festo Olang". On June 29, 1980, Kuria, at the age of 51, became the second African Anglican Archbishop of Kenya.
By the time he retired in 1994, the number of dioceses in Kenya had increased from seven to twenty.
Kuria died on 19 September 2005, aged 76, in Nairobi after suffering a heart attack. Both of them were cremated at death which was and still is unusual in their society. Bishop Kuria"s brother called Amon Mbugua was a long time lay reader at Saint John"s in Kabuku.
Married Mary Nyambura Kuria in 1947.