FORMER ITALIAN PRIEST BEGINS NEW CHAPTER AFTER MARRYING KENYAN WOMAN IN TRADITIONAL CEREMONY

A former Italian Catholic priest, Sandro Ferretto, has left the priesthood and married a Kenyan woman, Sharon Jepng’ok, in a traditional ceremony held in Baringo County, Kenya. The 55-year-old former missionary and Jepng’ok reportedly exchanged vows through a Koito ceremony, a Kalenjin customary marriage ritual involving family participation, dowry negotiations and blessings from elders. The ceremony took place on September 6 in Seretion village, Kasiela, an area where Ferretto previously served as a Catholic parish priest.

Ferretto, who was ordained as a priest of the Diocese of Padua in Italy, began missionary work in Kenya in 2008. He spent about 12 years serving communities around Kasiela and Mochongoi under the Diocese of Nyahururu, where he became well known among residents and was popularly referred to as “Father Sandro.” His decision to leave the priesthood now marks a major change from the religious role he had held for many years.

His bride, Sharon Jepng’ok, is a Tugen woman from Baringo South. The traditional ceremony brought together members of both families, community elders, local leaders and Jepng’ok’s colleagues, who witnessed the couple’s union according to local customs. The Koito ceremony is an important stage in traditional Kalenjin marriage practices, particularly because it involves the formal involvement and approval of the families.

Ferretto’s long association with the Baringo community made the wedding particularly notable, as the ceremony was held in the same locality where he had previously carried out his pastoral and missionary duties. His years of service in the area reportedly earned him familiarity and recognition among local residents, making his decision to settle into a different phase of life a significant development for people who knew him during his time as a priest.

The marriage has attracted attention because of Ferretto’s unusual transition from Catholic missionary work to family life in Kenya. After years of serving the church and local communities, the former priest has now begun a new chapter with Jepng’ok, with their traditional union formally celebrated in her home community.