Who are the new bishops of Luweero, North Ankole

The House of Bishops on Wednesday elected Rev Wilson Kisekka and Rev Canon Alfred Muhoozi as new bishops of Luweero and North Ankole Anglican dioceses, respectively.

Rev Muhoozi succeeds Bishop Stephen Namanya who retires on May 26 when he clocks the mandatory retirement age.

With the consecration and enthronement for the Luwero Diocese bishop-elect set for Sunday, March 26 at St Mark Cathedral in Luweero Town Council, we take a look at the profiles of the bishop designates.

Rev Kisekka, 53, is married to Ms Rachael Kisekka with whom they have four children.

He has been Archdeacon of Ndeeba, Kayunga District, under Mukono Diocese.

A holder of a diploma in Forestry (Makerere University), a Bachelor’s degree in Theology (UCU), and a Master’s degree in Theology obtained from Kwazulu Natal University in South Africa (2008), Rev Kisekka has served the Church in different capacities, including as parish priest at St Peters Church of Uganda, Lugazi, and Misindye Church of Uganda (Seeta) Archdeaconry.

He earlier served at Nakanyonyi Archdeaconry as archdeacon before his transfer to Ndeeba Archdeaconry.

Unlike his predecessors, Rev Kisekka will be taking over leadership from a caretaker bishop appointed by the Archbishop in July last year.

wThis was after the diocese failed to have a successful candidate for bishop at the time of Bishop Eridard Nsubuga’s retirement in July.

The diocese has been under the care of retired Bishop of Mukono Diocese James Williams Ssebagala since July 18, 2023. Since the House of Bishops that convened on June 28, 2023, revoked the election of Rev Can Godfrey Kasana, the leadership role of the diocese reverted to the archbishop on July 9, 2023.

Under normal circumstances, retiring Bishop Eridard Nsubuga was supposed to be handing over the pastoral staff to his successor but because the position had been declared vacant, the pastoral staff went back to the office of the Archbishop.

The election of Rev Kisekka comes at the time when four aggrieved Christians in the diocese sued 37 bishops of the Church of Uganda in their capacity for cancellation of Rev Kasana’s election.

The aggrieved Christians, according to the Court documents seen by this publication, accuse the individual bishops that constituted the House of Bishops on July 28, 2023, of maliciously throwing out Rev Kasana on grounds of lack of integrity without a fair hearing.

About bishop-elect for North-Ankole

In North Ankole, since there were no prior disputes concerning the choice of Rev Muhoozi, the faithful were excited upon receipt of the news of his election.

Rev Muhoozi now becomes the third bishop of the North Ankole Diocese after the incumbent, Bishop Stephen Namanya, clocked retirement age this year.

Mr Safari Mugyenyi, the chairperson of Sanga Town Council in Kiruhura District, said Rev Muhoozi is the perfect person to take on the leadership of the diocese.

“I am a Christian who follows what happens in church, if anyone was fit to be a bishop, it was Rev Canon Muhoozi,” Mr Mugyenyi said.

“He is from a humble background, he grew up as a total orphan but managed to reach all this far,” he added.

He narrated how the bishop-elect started at the lowest level of a church and went through the ranks to become an archdeacon and now a bishop.

“He is a unique evangelist and a crowd-puller. He is a very determined person and hardworking, imagine he went for his master’s degree when he was already an archdeacon and old, and to some of us you would say ‘why bother?’” he said.

Mr Sam Rutagobwa, a businessman in Rushere Town Council, Kiruhura District, described the new prelate as a special one who will help the diocese to grow and transform communities.

“I have known Canon Muhoozi for a long time. He is down to earth, his love for people is immeasurable, the young, old, rich, and poor. He has spent most of his time serving God and his people and I am convinced that he brings in a unique experience and competence to this position of a bishop,” he said.

Likewise, Kiruhura District chairperson Dan Mukago said the bishop-elect is a developmental and hardworking cleric who cared for and raised himself after losing all his parents.

The Overseer of the National Fellowship of Born Again Churches in Ankole Sub-region, Pastor Silas Tayebwa, said the bishop-elect is a man they trust that will strengthen the unity between born-again Christians and the Church of Uganda.

Compiled by Dan Wandera, Rajab Mukombozi & Felix Ainebyoona