Suit seeking to stop consecration of Bishop Loum withdrawn

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Two aggrieved members of the laity have withdrawn their court case seeking to stop the consecration of Rev. Geoffrey Loum as 8th Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda.

Rev. Loum was elected by the House of Bishops at Lweza Training and Conference Centre in Entebbe on August 12, and his consecration is slated for 21 November 2021 at St. Philip’s Cathedral in Gulu.

But on 19 October 2021, the appellants Tom Mboya Okecho and Emmanuel Omwony, through their lawyers Waymo Advocates filed a suit at Gulu High Court seeking a permanent injunction on Rev Loum’s consecration citing irregularities and violation of the canon laws.

The plaintiffs dragged the Church of Uganda to court alongside other defendants that included the Registered Trustees of the Diocese of Northern Uganda, Registered Trustees of the Church of Uganda, Archbishop Rev. Dr Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, Francis Gimara and Rev Loum.

They also argued that the failure by the Registered Trustees of the Province of Church of Uganda and the Archbishop to cancel and nullify the illegal appointment of Rev Loum as the Bishop of Northern Uganda Diocese amounts to a breach of duty and failure to perform functions imposed on the Archbishop by the Constitution of the Province of the Church of Uganda.

Further, the wanted a court order to nullify and set aside the appointment of Rev Loum as the Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Northern Uganda, cause the trustees to cause the appointment of appropriate and legally constituted nominations committee for the selection and appointment of the Bishop.

They also want a permanent injunction issued against defendants from declaring and consecrating or enthroning Rev Geoffrey Loum as the Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda.

However, the Chief Justice, Alphonse Owny-Dollo Chigamoi backed by Acholi legislators, cultural and other religious leaders weighed in and mitigated the grievances prompting the duo to withdraw the suit against the defendants.

On Friday 18 November 2021, the Principle Judge Dr. Justice Flavian Zeija issued a notice of withdrawal of suit by consent of the parties and their respective advocates. “It is hereby agreed as follows: That Civil Suit No. 34 of 2021 against the defendants herein be and is hereby withdrawn unconditionally. That each party bears its own costs,” the withdrawal notice read in part.

Adding, “That the 3rd Defendant (The Most Rev. Dr. Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu) shall proceed to Consecrate the 5th Defendant (Rev. Geoffrey Loum) as the 8th Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda on the 21st day of November 2021 as planned. The notice further indicated that the Chief Justice of Uganda shall continue to with the mediation process to ensure reconciliation of all the parties.

Rev. Loum will be succeeding Rev Johnson Gakumba, who has been Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda since 2009 but sought early retirement at the age of 62.

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