Prime
Namirembe election primed to start afresh
The Namirembe Cathedral in Kampala. A five-member investigation committee has been set up to probe the disputed nomination of the next bishop of the diocese Photo/File
What you need to know:
- The probe team summoned members of the nomination committee at the Provincial Secretariat on October 18 and interrogated them for nearly 12 hours. We understand that the most pressing concerns were gaps identified in the nomination process.
The fate of a contested Namirembe Diocese electoral process lies in the hands of an ad hoc committee that commenced work on Wednesday.
The five-member investigation committee was set up by the House of Bishops during an October 4 sitting at the Provincial Secretariat in Namirembe to probe the disputed nomination process.
Mr Adams Sadiiki, the Church of Uganda provincial spokesperson, told Sunday Monitor that this development is in line with the Provincial Canon 3.7.30 to guide the next course of action by the House of Bishops for the deferred election.
Rev Johnson Gakumba, the Northern Uganda Bishop emeritus, heads the ad hoc committee.
“The recommendations of the ad hoc committee will guide the course of action. The House of Bishops may recommend that the election goes on or the process starts afresh. This will be guided by the findings of the ongoing investigation,” Mr Sadiiki said on October 19.
The probe team summoned members of the nomination committee at the Provincial Secretariat on October 18 and interrogated them for nearly 12 hours. We understand that the most pressing concerns were gaps identified in the nomination process.
The probe committee is expected to furnish the House of Bishops with a comprehensive report during their next sitting on November 18.
Mr Sadiiki noted that a nomination process or an election can be cancelled and the process started afresh if there is a misrepresentation of facts. Adducing proof that either process was blighted by corruption or integrity issues also yields the same outcome.
“There are past incidents where the entire nomination process has been repeated,” the Church of Uganda’s provincial spokesperson said, adding, “In Kinkizi Diocese, there was a question of integrity of the Kikinzi Bishop-elect, Canon Bernard Bagaba […] even after his election, it was cancelled and the nomination process started afresh. They elected Rev Dan Zoreka. The same happened in Luweero.”
Mr Sadiiki also pointed out developments in Kumi Diocese where “the select committee of the House of Bishops revoked the election of Rev Charles Ekunya Oode as the second Bishop of the Diocese because he had lied about his age.” He was replaced by Rev Michael Okwii Esakan.
The process
According to the Constitution of the Church of Uganda, candidates contesting for the position of bishop must be 45 years and above. They should be graduates of Theology or Divinity, with a 10 years experience in christian service.
A Diocesan Nomination Committee is required to choose two candidates with requisite qualifications to compete for the position of bishop. Afterwards, their names are forwarded to the House of Bishops by the Diocesan Chancellor on behalf of the committee for consideration for appointment as bishop.
Before forwarding names of the selected candidates to House of Bishops, the Diocesan Chancellor is expected to obtain from each of the candidate two passport size photos, CVs with academic and professional documents, certificate of baptism, certificate of conformation, marriage certificate, certificate of ordinance and recent passport photos of their spouse, among other requirements.
“What we normally encourage members of the nomination committee [to do]is to uphold our values of integrity and confidentiality from the beginning of the nomination process until the end. If there is any form of leakage about who the candidates are, they can also affect the nomination process,” Mr Sadiiki told Sunday Monitor.
The names of the two candidates nominated to compete for the Namirembe Diocese bishop to replace the retiring Bishop Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira were leaked in the media before the nomination process was concluded.
The candidates are Rev Abraham Muyinda, the Vicar of Namirembe Cathedral, and Rev Canon Moses Banja, the Archdeacon of Luzira Archdecoconry. They were selected from 13 candidates who had applied for the same position.
Rev Luwalira, who has served Namirembe Diocese for 14 years, is expected to retire this year when he clocks the mandatory retirement age of 65 on December 8.
