Kampala lawyer and Namirembe Diocese Chancellor Frederick Mpanga of AF Mpanga Advocates has defied the directive of the House of Bishops stopping him from calling meetings for the nomination of the Bishop of Namirembe.
The House of Bishops that sat on 4th October 2023 in Namirembe failed to pronounce itself on the new bishop of Namirembe Diocese following a loud outcry of a biased and unconventional process in which two names had been forwarded.
Mpanga had defied his nomination committee by preselecting Canon Moses Banja and Rev Muyinda as two candidates for the vacant position of the Bishop of Namirembe without involvement of the nomination committee.
The raging storm spread across the diocese like a wildfire that in their wisdom, the clerics thought it wise to constitute a committee headed by Rt. Rev. John Gakumba to investigate the allegations.
This managed to cool down the flaring tempers of many Christian elders who had by now been joined by many youthful Christians interested in the affairs of the cathedral, and for them, they had started mobilizing to have the cathedral closed, an act that has never been witnessed in the history of the oldest diocese in Uganda.
Having invited the 13 member nominations committee for their first interface with investigations committee on 18th October 2023 vide a memo, our reporters have seen a message that the Chancellor of the Diocese, Lawyer Frederick Mpanga has also called for an urgent meeting with the nomination committee today the 16th of October at 3:00pm at Namirembe Guest House.
This meeting is meant to happen before the one convened by the investigations committee sanctioned by the House of Bishops.
It’s not only irregular but rather surprising that after presiding over a sham nomination process, the so called chancellor is now moving on to create parallel meetings as though to intimidate members of the committee, a development that has now started re-igniting the fire that the House of Bishops had managed to control.
Sections of concerned Namirembe diehards have started questioning if the Chancellor still remains in office after presiding over a contested process of nominating a bishop or he steps aside.
Secondly, if it is in order for the current Chancellor to call for a meeting at a time when the committee sanctioned by the House of Bishops has not pronounced itself on the outcome of their findings.
Thirdly, if the Archbishop has powers to dismiss a Chancellor even if the sitting bishop is the one responsible for appointing him to office.
Our investigators are stationed at the Namirembe hill watching with intent all events as they unfold despite many officials of the diocese hesitating to comment when asked preferring to remain anonymous for those who are bold enough to speak.
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