KIGOMA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. – It is situated in British East Africa, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. It derives precisely from the vicariate formerly called “of Tanganyika.” The evangelization of the Great Lakes region began through the work of the Society of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers), and the first mission entrusted to them was precisely that of Tanganyika (11 February 1878), which was raised to a provicariate on 27 September 1886, with a territory comprising much of the territory of Tanganyika, part of the Belgian Congo, and part of Northern Rhodesia.
By decree of 30 December 1886 and brief of 11 January 1887, the provicariate was divided into three vicariates: Tanganyika in the centre, Unyanyembe (today Tabora) in the east, and Upper Congo (today, in part, Baudouinville) in the west. The vicariate of Tanganyika underwent boundary modifications: 1) with the vicariates of Unyanyembe and Upper Congo, and with the apostolic prefectures of Southern Zanguebar (now the apostolic vicariate of Dar es-Salām) and Nyassa (now an apostolic vicariate), on 10 December 1895; 2) with the apostolic vicariate of Upper Congo on 8 April 1911; 3) with the apostolic vicariate of Urundi on 12 July 1926; 4) with the apostolic vicariates of Tabora and Bukoba on 12 July 1932, when the mission sui iuris of Tukuyu (now the apostolic vicariate of Mbeya) was erected. On 10 May 1946 the apostolic vicariate of Tanganyika was again divided into two apostolic vicariates, which remained entrusted to the White Fathers: that of the Uha region to the north, which was given the name of K., and that of the Ufipa region to the south, Karema (v.). That of K. has an area of 35,000 sq. km., with a population of more than 300,000 inhabitants who speak the Hiha language. In 1948 it counted 9,902 Catholics, 2,139 catechumens, 3 indigenous priests, 37 foreign priests, 9 foreign lay brothers, 2 indigenous sisters, 15 foreign sisters, 248 catechists, and 19 teachers.