Bishop Katonene–the outgoing Bishop of west Ankole Diocese
By Wilber Muhwezi and Dickens Nuwasasira.
In Bushenyi.
Nomination committee chaired by Mavine Baryaruha since he was elected at the end of last year to chair nomination committee has never called any meeting to elect a new Bishop or even wrote letters to clergy that qualify to apply for the position of the Bishop.
The diocesan secretary Arthur Atwine while speaking in an exclusive interview with www.mknewslink.com editor said that the chair man nomination committee and a diocesan chancellor asked him for all the information concerning the nomination and selection of bishop but since then there is no any step he made.
However, sources close to diocese said that they want to just select any body without following the procedures and on the other hand the house of bishops will sit on 2/6/2016 to elect a new bishop for west Ankole diocese but up now there is no any activity done by nomination committee.
What is likely to happen?
The house of Bishops will elect the caretaker Bishop to diffuse the problems in West Ankole Diocese and the irregularities that are involved in the election of the new Bishop.
Mavine’s committee can elect a Bishop irregularly and be rejected by the Christians in West Ankole diocese and then ended up going to court which will result into chaos.
The outgoing Bishop of West Ankole Diocese Mwesigwa Yanah Katonene retires officially on 2/10/2016 and a new Bishop that day will be consecrated.
Katonene has faced the fearious resistance from Christians of Sheema district for 3 years and even Christians of Sheema reached an extent of closing Ngoma church of Uganda in Rwabutura archdeaconry accusing him of trying to transfer Ankole Western University project from Kabwohe to Katungu in Bushenyi district.
However, Katonene denied the allegations and told www.mknewslink.com on an exclusive interview that he wanted to create a branch of Ankole western University project not to shift the whole university as alleged by Sheema christians.