The Church of Uganda has disqualified a candidate and halted the election of a fourth Bishop for Luwero Anglican Diocese following protests from Christians.
Reverend Eridard Nsubuga Kironde the current Bishop of Luwero Anglican Diocese is set to retire in July this year after clocking the mandatory 65 years. The Diocese has set Sunday 6th July, 2023 for the enthronement of the new Bishop.
On 15th March this year, the nomination committee led by city lawyer Apollo Makubuya the Chancellor of Luwero Diocese selected Reverend Abel Sserwanja Merewoma the parish priest of St Stephens’ Church Kireka in Namirembe Diocese and Rev. Canon Godfrey Kasana the Archdeacon of Ndejje Archdeaconry in Luwero Diocese as successful candidates from eight aspirants for the seat.
The committee forwarded the names to the Province of the Church Uganda to the House of Bishops to choose the successor on 1st April this year.
But protests emerged and Christians petitioned Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu challenging the process citing the unlawful nomination of Reverend Sserwanja and bribery of committee members. The Christians also want the committee disbanded over incompetence and unethical conduct.
Today the Church of Uganda has announced that they halted the elections and nullified the selection process citing irregularities in the exercise.
The Provincial Secretary of the Church of Uganda Rev. Canon Captain William Ogeng says that the Archbishop has found out that one of the candidates -Reverend Sserwanja- was irregularly nominated because he had not served as a priest for ten years as stipulated in canon law.
Ogeng says that the Archbishop has ordered the Chancellor of Luwero Diocese to conduct a fresh search for new candidates and present names to him before a new election date is set.
Kenneth R.Kikabi a congregant at St Mark Cathedral who led the Christians to petition the Archbishop alleges that the nomination committee was bribed to select Reverend Sserwanja well knowing that he was yet to make ten years in the priesthood.
Kikabi says that Sserwanja will make 10 years as a priest in December 2023 and he didn’t qualify for the nomination.
Kikabi says that upon getting the confirmation from the Province that the process has been halted, they have now written to Bishop Eridard Nsubuga asking him to disband the nomination committee because they exhibited unethical conduct during the past exercise.
He vows to challenge the process in court if the current nomination committee is not disbanded.Reverend Abel Sserwanja Merewooma was unavailable to comment on the new developments.