Italian Catholic priest Sandro Ferretto has left active priestly ministry and married Sharon Jepng’ok, a Kenyan woman he reportedly met during his 12 years of missionary work in Baringo County.
Ferretto, 55, married Jepng’ok, a Tugen woman from Baringo South, on Sunday, September 6, in a traditional Koito ceremony at Seretion village in Kasiela, the same community where he once served as a Catholic parish priest.
The ceremony brought together members of Jepng’ok’s family, community elders, local leaders and friends as the couple formalised their union according to Kalenjin customary traditions. The Koito ceremony typically involves family participation, dowry negotiations and blessings from elders.
Ferretto’s Kenyan Missionary Journey
For the residents of Kasiela and Mochongoi, Ferretto was for years known simply as “Father Sandro”. He had arrived in Kenya in 2008 after being ordained for the Diocese of Padua in Italy and was assigned missionary work in Baringo under the Diocese of Nyahururu.
It was during this period in Baringo that Ferretto reportedly met Jepng’ok.Their relationship reportedly developed during the years he was serving as a missionary in Baringo.
He subsequently returned to Italy, continued his Catholic career and eventually stepped away from pastoral ministry. When he returned to Kenya, he came back to the same region where he had spent a substantial part of his adult life.
Images and videos from the ceremony show Ferretto and Jepng’ok participating in the traditional celebrations, wearing ceremonial clothing and joining relatives and community members in dancing.
