Kampala, Uganda: The Church of Uganda has announced that its Archbishop, The Most Rev Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, and six diocesan bishops will retire in August 2027 after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 65, marking the largest number of bishops scheduled to leave office in a single year in the Church’s history.
The announcement was made during the 28th Provincial Assembly held at Uganda Christian University (UCU) in Mukono on Thursday, according to Church of Uganda Communications Officer Adams Sadiiki.
The bishops scheduled to retire are:
- The Most Rev. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu – Archbishop of the Church of Uganda and Bishop of Kampala Diocese.
- The Rt. Rev. Dan Zoreka – Bishop of Kinkiizi Diocese.
- The Rt. Rev. Dr. Fred Sheldon Mwesigwa – Bishop of Ankole Diocese.
- The Rt. Rev. Patrick Wakula – Bishop of Central Busoga Diocese.
- The Rt. Rev. John Wilson Nandaah – Bishop of Mbale Diocese.
- The Rt. Rev. Gaddie Akanjuna – Bishop of Kigezi Diocese.
- The Rt. Rev. Amos Magezi – Bishop of North West Ankole Diocese.
Under the Church of Uganda Constitution, bishops, including the Archbishop, are required to retire upon reaching the age of 65.
Archbishop Kaziimba was elected as the 9th Archbishop of the Church of Uganda on August 28, 2019, at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Namirembe, as a successor to then Archbishop, The Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali.
Ahead of his 2027 retirement, Kaziimba is currently undertaking a nationwide pastoral and farewell tour across the Church of Uganda province.
The process of selecting a new Archbishop?
The Church’s constitution provides that a candidate seeking election as a diocesan bishop must be an ordained priest aged at least 45 years and possess a recognised bachelor’s degree in theology or another first degree accompanied by a theological diploma or postgraduate qualification.
To qualify for election as Archbishop, a candidate must be a serving diocesan bishop within the province, be at least 50 years old and remain below the mandatory retirement age at the time of election.
The Church of Uganda currently comprises 39 dioceses across the country. Namirembe Diocese, established in 1897 as the Diocese of Uganda before adopting its current name in 1960, remains the province’s oldest diocese.
The retirement of seven bishops in the same year is expected to trigger a series of episcopal elections across the affected dioceses as the Church prepares for one of its most significant leadership transitions in recent history.
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