NEWS- The House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda sitting at St Stephen’s Cathedral Naluwerere in East Busoga Diocese, on Monday 20th November 2023, has elected Ven. Canon Moses Banja as the 6th Bishop of Namirembe Diocese.
The Bishop will be consecrated and enthroned on 10th December 2023 at St Paul’s Cathedral, Namirembe.
Ven. Canon Moses Banja was born on 20th October 1964 in Nakabugo Bbira, Busiro, accepted Jesus Christ as his Saviour on 3rd December 1989 before he was ordained in 1996 and priested in 1998.
He is married to Rev. Canon. Prof. Olivia Nassaka Banja and God has blessed them with three Children.
Ven Canon Moses Banja holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Divinity from Makerere University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education from Makerere University.
He is currently the Archdeacon of Luzira Archdeacon.
It should be remembered that the Christian community in Namirembe Diocese has in the past expressed deep concern over the prolonged delay in the election of a new Bishop.
This issue had remains unresolved, with Christians urging those responsible to expedite the process, citing alleged glitches in the nomination procedure.
Reports had surfaced suggesting irregularities in the nomination process, prompting an investigation and a subsequent postponement of the election.
The controversy began when allegations arose that some bishops were illicitly nominated. Complaints centered on concerns related to the transparency and fairness of the nomination process, citing allegations of corruption, conflicts of interest, and a lack of due diligence in vetting candidates.
Church elders escalated their grievances to Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, and the House of Bishops took action by deferring the election of the next Bishop of Namirembe Diocese. The church has not yet reached a final decision as the nomination process is still underway.
The selection process began in May, with the Namirembe Diocesan Synod electing a nomination team tasked with nominating two eligible priests for the position. This committee, chaired by Fred Mpanga, identified 13 candidates for consideration.
However, tensions arose during the Synod’s decision-making process, with disagreements over the candidates’ vetting and election procedures. Despite the disagreements, two names were eventually forwarded to the House of Bishops.
