The vicariate of St. Rita-Kenya, is a circumscription of the order of St. Augustine and has a twofold historical set up. Firstly, in 1597 Augustinian friars were sent to Mombasa (Kenya) by their Superior Alexis Meneses (O.S.A) of Goa, India. They preached the gospel mainly through education and health care to the locals. On 21st August 1631 four Augustinians and 152 lay Christians (Mombasa Martyrs) were killed in Mombasa by a formerly Christian Sultan. Secondly, since that martyrdom took place, the Augustinians made their come back to Kenya in 1977 when the Augustinian contemplative nuns from Mira Porte Italy established a monastery in Ishiara (Eastern part of Kenya-Embu Diocese). In 1984, Spanish Augustinian Missionary Sisters through the invitation of Bishop Silas Njiru of Meru diocese opened a girl's secondary school at Ishiara and gave it the name St. Mónica. In 1989, through the invitation of the Bishop of Embu (now Cardinal) John Njue, the Prior General asked the Irish Province and Nigerian vice province to send Augustinians to help in running the Ishiara parish and give spiritual care to the contemplative nuns.

In 1994 Cardinal Otunga (Archbishop of Nairobi) asked the Prior General in Rome if the Order of Saint Augustine would set up a formation house in Kenya and accept Kenyan vocations. “After all,” he said “You were the first missionaries to bring the faith to Kenya.” In 1997, a formation house was built in Southlands Nairobi and Kenyan candidates were accepted. The formation house has gone great milestone in forming up to our current 35 solemnly professed friars and 31 in initial formation program. In February 1998 Augustinians took up the newly established Sacred Heart parish in Baba Dogo, Nairobi. In 2004 an International house (Friary) was blessed and opened for the formation of Augustinian theologians in Karen Nairobi.

In 2006 Augustinians took up a newly established parish after invitation from the Archbishop of Kisumu. The parish is located in Nyamasaria area and it is called St. Monica parish. In 2013, the Augustinians took up a parish in Eldoret Diocese after invitation by the Bishop of Eldoret. The Parish is called St. Joseph the worker. On 1st January 2017, the Augustinians took up a newly established parish in Meru Diocese. The parish is called Holy family Mbwiru parish near Chuka town. On 29th January 2017 the Augustinians took up an already existing parish in Kericho diocese. The name of the Parish is St. Luke's Kebenet Parish. Thus, in total we have six parochial communities.

Since our establishment, we've had Augustinians have had three delegation superiors who were all from the province of Ireland, that is Fr. Denis Mason, Fr. Thomas Sexton and Fr. David Fitzgerald. During the delegation general assembly on 21st October 2015, a new delegation superior was announced. His Name is Fr Robert Karanja Ireri (O.S.A). He is the first indigenous delegation superior. On 16th September 2019 the General Chapter in Rome approved the delegation of Kenya to become a vicariate. The first Vicariate Chapter was held from 2nd to 7th December 2019 and Fr. Robert Karanja Ireri (O.S.A) was installed as the first Regional Vicar of the new Vicariate, we are looking forward to our second ordinary vicariate chapter this year in December, we plead and thank you for your constant prayers and support towards the future, as the blood of the Mombasa martyrs continues to bear fruits the life of our young vicariate.