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Luwero, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The caretaker Bishop of Luwero Diocese Right Reverend James William Ssebaggala has said the Diocese is now stable four months after he took over. This is after protests that sparked over the nullification elections of the Bishop-elect.
On July 14th, Archbishop Kaziimba Mugalu appointed Rt. Rev James William Ssebaggala the retired Bishop of Mukono to serve as caretaker with effect from Tuesday 18th July 2023 to 18th March 2024.
Kaziimba tasked Ssebaggala to reconcile the Christians and ensure the continuity of church activities for the next eight months till a new Bishop is elected.
By the time Ssebaggala assumed office, tensions were high and Christians protesting against the nullification of Rev. Canon Kasana Godfrey Ssemakula as the Bishop-elect.
Ssebaggala met resistance from a section of priests and Christians backed by Luwero LCV Chairperson Erastus Kibirango who were loyal to Ssemakula because he is a native.
However, in the past four months, Ssebaggala has been able to conduct priestly ordinations, confirm hundreds of Christians, and hold several meetings to diffuse tensions.
Ssebaggala has also streamlined the financial administration at the Luwero Diocesan secretariat and transferred several priests to other churches in a move to improve service delivery.
Speaking at the annual thanksgiving service organized by Luwero civil servants at the district headquarters, Bishop Ssebaggala said that he is happy that the Diocese is now stable and praying that it gets a bishop soon.
Innocent Asaba, the Luwero District Chief Administrative Officer applauded Bishop Ssebaggala for steering the Diocese amidst the challenges and hopeful God will prevail so that the Diocese gets a substantive shepherd.
The Luwero District Chairman Erastus Kibirango only thanked Bishop Ssebaggala for conducting the service and reserved his comments on the stability of the Diocese.
However recently Kibirango accused Ssebaggala of intimidating supporters of Rev. Canon Kasana and painting a rosy picture that things were going well yet the Christians are divided over the nullification elections of Kasana as the fourth Bishop.
Kibirango also backed four Christians who petitioned the court on December 6th demanding that they issue a permanent injunction on re-electing another Bishop and instead order the church to consecrate as well as install Kasana.
The Christians sued individual bishops over the decision to nullify the elections of Rev. Canon Kasana claiming that they didn’t give him a fair hearing even after he wrote to them asking for a review of the matter in October this year.
Another section of seven Christians also filed a notice of appeal challenging a decision by the High Court to dismiss their earlier petition against the House of Bishops that nullified the election of Kasana.
The petitioners said Principal Judge Flavian Zeija erred when he dismissed a petition without evaluating all evidence in the main suit and wanted it set aside.
The Courts are yet to fix the two petitions for hearing.
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A new bishop will be elected soon.