An 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.
Ferretto, 55, wed Jepng’ok, a Tugen woman from Baringo South, on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at Seretion village in Kasiela. The couple formalised their union through a Koito ceremony, a Kalenjin customary marriage rite that involves dowry negotiations and blessings from the families of the bride and groom.
Relatives, community elders, local leaders and Jepng’ok’s colleagues attended the ceremony.
Ferretto was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Padua in Italy and began missionary work in Kenya in 2008. He served as a Catholic parish priest in Kasiela and Mochongoi under the Diocese of Nyahururu for about 12 years, where he became known for his pastoral work, youth programmes and community development initiatives. Locals referred to him simply as “Father Sandro.”
He returned to Italy in December 2020. By 2023, he was leading a pastoral unit of eight churches in Saletto, Borgo Veneto, within the Padua diocese. He later stepped down from the position to take a period of reflection.
Ferretto subsequently returned to Kenya, where he reunited with Jepng’ok, whom he had met during his years of missionary service in Baringo.