Susan Abayomi
A former Italian Catholic missionary priest, Sandro Ferretto, has married his Kenyan partner, Sharon Jepng’ok, after stepping away from the priesthood following years of missionary service in Kenya.
Ferretto, 55, married Jepng’ok on Sunday, September 6, 2026, during a traditional Koito ceremony held at Seretion Village in Kasiela, Baringo South, Kenya.
The ceremony, which attracted relatives, community elders, local leaders and friends, marked a major transition in Ferretto’s life after more than a decade of missionary work in the region.
Ferretto was ordained for the Diocese of Padua in Italy and began his missionary work in Kenya in 2008. He served communities in Kasiela and Mochongoi under the Diocese of Nyahururu, where he became known for his pastoral activities as well as his involvement in youth and community development programmes.
It was during his years of missionary service in Baringo that Ferretto reportedly met Jepng’ok, a Tugen woman from Baringo South.
After returning to Italy in December 2020, Ferretto continued his pastoral work and was later involved in overseeing a pastoral unit in Saletto, Borgo Veneto. Reports indicate that he stepped away from that role in 2023 and subsequently returned to Kenya.
His return to Kenya eventually led to his reunion with Jepng’ok and, ultimately, the decision to begin a new chapter of his life outside the priesthood.
The couple chose to formalise their union through a Koito ceremony, a traditional marriage practice among Kalenjin communities that involves family participation, dowry negotiations and blessings from relatives and elders.
The ceremony took place in the same community where Ferretto had previously served as a Catholic parish priest, adding particular significance to his return to Baringo.
Images and videos from the ceremony have attracted attention online, particularly because of Ferretto’s long-standing connection with the local community and the contrast between his former life as a Catholic missionary and his new role as a married man.
Ferretto’s story has also drawn attention because Catholic priests in the Latin Church are ordinarily bound by the discipline of celibacy while in active ministry. Reports note that he had already left the priesthood before entering the marriage. Whether he completed the formal canonical process required for a Catholic priest to be released from his clerical obligations has not been publicly confirmed in the reports reviewed.
His marriage has consequently generated interest in both Kenya and Italy, particularly among people familiar with his years of service in Baringo.
For the community where he spent much of his missionary career, Ferretto’s wedding represents a notable new chapter for a man who had become closely associated with local families, churches and community initiatives.
The union also brought together Italian and Kenyan cultural traditions, with the former missionary taking part in the customs of the community where he had previously served.
