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Kumi Diocese bishop emeritus Irigei is dead
Former Kumi Diocese Bishop Thomas Edison Irigei (seated), hands over the pastoral staff to then Archbishop of the Church of Uganda Stanley Ntagali (left) following his retirement in 2019. Photo/Courtesy of Church of Uganda
What you need to know:
- By press time yesterday, the deceased’s body had been transferred from Soroti hospital to Bethesda hospital mortuary for management.
The retired bishop of the Church of Uganda for Kumi Diocese, Thomas Edison Irigei, has died at 69.
His successor, Bishop Michael Okwii Esakan, confirmed that the deceased passed yesterday at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital where he had been admitted for treatment since Wednesday last week.
“We would like to announce the sad news of the passing on of the first bishop of Kumi Diocese and former dean of the province of Church of Uganda, Papa Thomas Edison Irigei, who passed on immediately after midnight. As the Church together with the family, we mourn with hope as Paul has recorded in 1 Thessalonians: 4:13 that he has gone to be with the Lord his creator, whom he served diligently,” Bishop Esakan said.
By press time yesterday, the deceased’s body had been transferred from Soroti hospital to Bethesda hospital mortuary for management.
Mr Esakan said they have already informed Archbishop Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, the House of Bishops and the entire Church leadership.
He added that Monday next week is the tentative date for burial at St Philip’s Cathedral in Ngora.
He further said meetings will continue at different agreed places to mobilise resources for the burial.
Mr Esakan praised the deceased for his good work in the ministry of God.
“Being the first bishop, he did his best. He preached the word, presided over construction of churches in most parishes of Kumi Diocese,” he said.
Mr Samuel Patrick Okwii, the deceased’s son, said his late father has been a diabetes and hypertension patient for a long time.
“It has been on and off and we could bring him for management whenever he fell ill. This time, we came on Wednesday and he instead rested,” Mr Okwii said.
Rev Can Semu Onango, the former Kumi diocesan treasurer, who served under the deceased leadership, described his former boss as a fatherly and approachable church leader who mentored them and served his people with humility.
“I cannot even have words to describe how fatherly he was, but he worked very well, he nurtured so many people and built so many churches and people used to approach him at any time,” Mr Onango said.
About the deceased
The deceased became bishop in 2001 when Kumi Diocese was created out of Soroti Diocese.
At that time, he had served in various capacities.
He worked as a chaplain of Ngora Freda Carr Hospital, curated at St Philip’s Cathedral in Ngora, became a principal at Bishop Thomson Theological College and later chaplain at Ngora High School.
His reign as bishop lasted for 18 years until December 2019, when he reached his mandatory retirement age of 65 years.
He hailed from Mukongoro in Kumi District.
He was married to Jenifer Irigei and he is survived by nine children.
