Excitement has filled Christians in West Ankole Diocese after they received that the diocese has received a new Bishop, Rev. Canon Johnson Twinomujuni.
On Thursday, the House of Bishops elected Twinomujuni the Principal at Uganda Bible Institute in Mbarara, in the neighboring Ankole Diocese, as bishop of West Ankole.
He awaits to be installed on May 28th when he will officially replace retired Bishop Yona Mwesigwa Katoneene who retired in October last year after heading the diocese for over 10 years.
Bishop Katoneene on October 2nd 2016, handed over the leadership of the diocese to Archbishop Stanley Ntagali who has been caretaker bishop. This came on the backdrop of wrangles involving Bishop Katoneene and a section of Christians from Sheema Archdeaconry.
During his tenure, Bishop Katoneene was accused of among other things interfering with the running of Ankole Western Institute of Science and Technology (AWIST). He was also accused of influencing the election of members of the diocesan synod and the Diocesan council so as to have a say on who succeeds him.
It is this allegation that delayed the election of the new bishop who should have been installed in October last year. Bishop Katoneene handed over office without a substantive bishop prompting the Archbishop of Uganda to take over the Episcopal Jurisdiction of the diocese.
Now Christians say the election of Canon Twinomujuni is a relief since the Diocese has been appearing as if it had been abandoned.
Rev. Arthur Atwiine, West Ankole Diocesan Secretary, describes it as best news that the diocese has received this year. He says that he has for long known the bishop-elect as a great preacher with the ability of uniting people.
Atwiine adds that being from another diocese will be an added advantage to create since the new bishop will not be encumbered by the wrangles that characterised the Bishop Katoneene era. He adds that the clergy and Christians are ready to welcome and support the new Bishop.
