His Eminence John Cardinal Njue born in 1944 in Kiriari Villiage, Embu County. His parents were Joseph Nyaga Kibariki and Monica Ngima Nyaga. He was baptized in 1948 and began school in 1952 in Gituri Primary. He later on moved to Kyaweru Nguviu Intermediate School where he continued until end of 1960. All his life he wanted to become a priest and he got a lot of encouragement from his teacher Mr. Nazario Mvungu, a well renewed catechist in Matteo. He entered the minor seminary in Nkubu in 1961, and it was there that God helped him nurture his priestly vocation. On 6th January 1973 on the feast of Epiphany which was also 350th anniversary of the Congregation for propagation of faith, He was ordained a priest by His Holiness Pope Paul VI in St. Peter Basilica, returning to Kenya in 1974. Fr. John Njue served in Kariakomu Parish in Meru Diocese till July 1975. In the same Year, he was appointed Professor of Philosophy and Dean of Students at St. Augustine Senior Seminary, Mabanga in Bungoma and thereafter became a Rector for four Years. (1978-1982)
In June 1982, Fr. Njue Proceeded to United States of America where he undertook a spiritual renewal Programme course for six months. On his return, he was appointed Father-in-charge of Chuka Parish, therefore, becoming the first African Priest to be assigned in that parish after the Consolata Missionaries left. He served there for two and a half years. In January 1985, Fr. Njue, was appointed Rector of St. Joseph’s Meru Major Philosophicum Seminary in Nairobi. On 9th June 1986, Fr. Njue was appointed as the first Bishop of the newly created Diocese of Embu by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. He received his Episcopal consecration on the following 20th September from Jozef Cardinal Tomko and the co-consecrators being Bishops Silas Silvius Njiru, and Raphael Ndingi Mwana’a Nzeki.
He served as the Chairman of the Seminary Episcopal Commission for Major Seminaries in Kenya (1987-1991) Chairman Kenya Episcopal Conference Justice and Peace Commission, Chairman Development and Social Services Department Kenya Catholic Secretariat (KCS)
He was appointed Co-adjutor Archbishop of Nyeri on 9th March 2002. After the death of the late Rt. Rev. Luigi Locati in the year 2000, He was appointed the Apostolic Administrator of the Vicariate of Isiolo up to the Year 2006. Bishop Njue has served The Embu, and Nyeri Diocese, and the wider Catholic Church in Kenya with dynamism and dedication
Currently, he is the Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Ngong and the Chairman Kenya Episcopal Conference (KEC), the umbrella body of the Kenya Catholic Bishops. On 6th October 2007, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI appointed His Grace Archbishop John Njue as Archbishop of Nairobi, and later in a Consistory, on 24 of November 2007, elevated His Grace Rev. John Njue, Archbishop of Nairobi, as a new Cardinal, Member of the Sacred College of Cardinals. His Eminence John Cardinal Njue is the second cardinal in the history of Kenya after the Late Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga.