Bundibugyo Anglicans demand own diocese

They asked Bumadu Archdeacon, Jonathan Kyangasha, who was appointed by the Bishop of Rwenzori Diocese, to go back to Rwenzori Diocese. They are claiming that Bumadu archdeaconry is now the headquarters of the said “new West Rwenzori diocese”.

Kyangasha, the archdeacon, handed over keys of the house, a Land Cruiser Prado Reg. No. UAW 593 Q and a motorcycle to the Christians in the presence of police to witness the handover.

“By virtue of the fact that Christians in Bundibugyo have declared an independent diocese, I have been asked peacefully by Christians to go away, of which I have accepted peacefully and I have called the bishop of Rwenzori diocese to provide me with the means of transport but I have not yet got any answer from him,” said Archdeacon Kyangasha.

However, Kyangasha was not given the opportunity to claim his outstanding five months’ salary arrears and allowances amounting to Shs5.5m which he agreed with the Christians to be cleared this week.

“I have gone without arrears of my salaries and allowances of five months totalling to Shs5,528,500 of which they have promised to pay on Friday 6th January 2017. I have given them my account number,” he added.
One of the Christians and also MP for Bwamba County in Bundibugyo, Mr Richard Gafabusa, said their move was a Christian liberation, not tribal or political decision.

“We have sent our archdeacon back to Rwenzori Diocese because we are no longer under the leadership of Rwenzori Diocese. We are now independent under our new diocese, West Rwenzori,” said Mr Gafabusa.
He added: “Another reason why we sent the archdeacon away is because he was behaving as a traitor. He has been secretly talking to Bishop Reuben Kisembo of Rwenzori Diocese to have a meeting with church leaders of Bundibugyo in order to stop our move.”

During a phone interview with Daily Monitor, the Church of Uganda Provincial Secretary, Mr Amos Magezi, said there is an established procedure of forming a new diocese. He said a sitting diocese sends minutes of the synod to the province requesting a certain area to be carved out to form their own diocese.

“I have just heard the information. I don’t know whether the archbishop is already aware of that new diocese but I am going to tell him, so he is the one to give a message to the public,” Mr Magezi said.

According to the head of laity at Bumadu Archdeaconry, Mr Robert Kisembo, all Anglican churches in Bundibugyo District have been ordered not to remit any money to the Rwenzori Diocese.
He said they had informed the Bishop of Rwenzori Diocese that they were no longer part of his diocese.
When contacted, the Bishop of Rwenzori Diocese, Mr Kisembo said he had heard about the separatist diocese but declined to say much about the issue. “Ask the head of laity at Bumadu archdeaconry Robert Kisembo. I hear he is the one who declared it,” said Bishop Kisembo.

A group of Christians, including Archdeacon Kyangasha, led by Mr Kisembo went on a local radio station in Bundibugyo on the December 31 and announced the new diocese with immediate effect.
Asked whether they have informed the Church of Uganda archbishop about their move, Mr Kisembo said: “As the steering committee and other stakeholders, we are still conducting planning meetings on how we should build this new diocese to reach the minimum standards. We shall inform our Archbishop Ntagali after we have normalised the situation.”

Mr Kisembo said forming a new diocese was long overdue after other Christians separated from the Rwenzori Diocese to form South Rwenzori Diocese in Kasese District and East Rwenzori Diocese in Kamwenge District.

[email protected]