BARINGO COUNTY, KENYA — In a stunning development that has captivated social media audiences across East Africa and Europe, a 55-year-old Italian Catholic priest, Sandro Ferretto, has officially resigned from the priesthood to marry a Kenyan woman.
The former cleric, affectionately known by locals for over a decade as “Father Sandro”, formalized his union with his partner, Sharon Jepng’ok, in a vibrant traditional wedding ceremony over the weekend.
The event took place on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at Seretion village, Kasiela—the exact community where Ferretto spent 12 years conducting missionary work and pastoral duties.
The ‘Koito’ Marriage Ceremony:
Departing entirely from Roman Catholic traditions, the couple was joined through a Koito ceremony.
This is a time-honored Kalenjin customary rite that explicitly involves intense dowry negotiations, cultural declarations, and solemn blessings from the bride’s family elders.
The bride, Jepng’ok, is a Tugen woman from Baringo South and the daughter of a prominent former local councillor, John Wendot.
The colorful ceremony drew an eclectic mix of village elders, local political figures, relatives, and Jepng’ok’s professional colleagues, all gathered to witness the unusual transition.
A Long History in the Mission Fields:
Originally ordained as a priest under the Diocese of Padua in Italy, Ferretto first arrived in Kenya as a missionary in 2008. Serving under the Nyahururu Diocese, he spent years driving critical community development, youth programs, and outreach across the rural outposts of Kasiela and Mochongoi.
Though he briefly returned to Italy in late 2020 to oversee a large pastoral unit in Borgo Veneto, local Italian media reported that he stepped down from his ministerial roles in 2023 for a period of “personal reflection.” He subsequently returned to Kenya to pursue a romantic relationship with Jepng’ok, whom he had first encountered during his mission assignments.
The Strict Law of Celibacy:
Ferretto’s highly public choice directly challenges the stringent rules governing Latin Catholic canon law. Under Canon 277, Catholic clerics are strictly bound to “perfect and perpetual continence” and celibacy, rendering any attempts at marriage while in sacred orders canonically invalid.
To move forward with his new family life, Ferretto had to undergo the formal Vatican-approved laicization process to be permanently dispensed from his clerical vows and celibacy obligations.
While the historic step has triggered intense debate across traditional religious circles, members of the Baringo community have largely celebrated “Father Sandro’s” choice, praising his continuous dedication to the local community, now as a husband and a neighbour.
