Catholic diaspora donors and a Kenyan-owned US shipping firm deliver wheelchairs and adult diapers to Murang’a Diocese in a cross-continental solidarity mission
By Mary Karau Ngethe
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Murang’a yesterday received a consignment of wheelchairs and adult diapers donated by a Catholic diaspora community in Washington State, USA, in a cross-continental humanitarian effort that brought tangible relief to people living with disabilities, the elderly, and patients with limited mobility across the diocese.
Bishop James Maria Wainaina, who heads the diocese, personally received, blessed, and distributed the donations at the diocesan secretariat, where beneficiaries gathered to collect the items. For many of those present, the moment carried deep personal significance — some said they had been unable to attend church, tend to their land, or move freely without access to diapers, making the consignment far more than a charitable gesture.
The donation traced its origins to July 2025, when Wainaina travelled to Washington State to visit Swahili-speaking Small Christian Communities there. During that visit, he connected with the diaspora Catholic community and spoke openly about the material needs of his flock back home. The community responded warmly and pledged to begin regular donations of wheelchairs and adult diapers — a commitment they made good on yesterday.
The diaspora community was represented at the Murang’a event by Ann Irungu, who had travelled to Kenya and attended the handover in person. Irungu and Mary Ngethe, representing Titan Shippers LLC, both thanked Wainaina for agreeing to personally receive the donations.
Shipping the goods from the United States to Kenya at no cost was Titan Shippers LLC, a Washington-registered cargo company that moves freight between the US and Kenya by both sea and air. Its directors are themselves members of the Catholic diaspora community and of the Murang’a Diocese. Dominic Karau, originally from Gaicanjiru Catholic Parish within the diocese, arranged the free shipping and delivery as the company’s contribution to the project.
The consignment also included adult clothing, in addition to the wheelchairs and diapers pledged during Wainaina’s Washington visit.
The diocese’s health coordinator, Father Edwin Mwangi, who managed the event’s logistics, thanked the bishop for raising the community’s needs openly during his US visit and said he was looking forward to the next consignment. Wainaina, speaking at the close of the event, appealed to the diaspora community to sustain and grow their support, noting that diapers in particular required continuous replenishment as a daily necessity for the recipients.
The testimonies gathered at the secretariat underscored how critical the donations were. Recipients said access to diapers directly restored their ability to leave their homes — to attend church, work on their smallholdings, and engage in income-generating activities. The diocese’s health coordinator noted that this link between dignified personal care and economic participation was a point that, once communicated back to the diaspora community, was likely to deepen their commitment to giving.
Wainaina closed the event with a prayer for both the donors and the beneficiaries, and confirmed the diocese’s intention to maintain and strengthen its relationship with the Washington Catholic community and with Titan Shippers.
1 Comment
This is highly commended.