The Church of the Province of Uganda's Provincial Secretary, the Revd Canon Stanley Ntagali, has been elected the new Bishop of Masindi-Kitara Diocese in north-western Uganda. He will be the first bishop of the diocese, which has been curved off from Bunyoro-Kitara Diocese.
At the same time, the Revd Dr Zac Niringiye of Church Mission Society (CMS) has been elected Assistant Bishop of Kampala diocese. He will replace the Rt Revd Eliphaz Maari, who retires at the end of the year.
The announcement was made after a House of Bishops meeting held last week at the Uganda Christian University in Mukono. It was chaired by the Archbishop of Uganda and provincial Primate, the Most Revd Henry Luke Orombi.
Canon Ntagali was appointed Provincial Secretary of the Church of the Province of Uganda in January last year and has been at the centre of managing the province's administrative issues.
Canon Ntagali studied at St Paul's United Theological College, Limuru in Kenya and graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1993 before proceeding to the Oxford Centre for Mission studies in the UK, where he graduated with a Master of Arts in Theology and Development. He has also undertaken courses in Clinical Pastoral Education and Management for Senior Church Administrators.
He was ordained a deacon in December 1981 and priested in December 1982 at his home church St Peter's Cathedral, Hoima. He is married to Beatrice and together they have five children.
The Revd Dr Niringiye is the CMS representative for the Africa desk and was for many years based at Partnership House in London. He recently relocated to Kampala where he has overseen the establishment a CMS regional office.
Congratulating the two on behalf of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), the General Secretary the Revd Canon John Kanyikwa said the two Bishops-elect were gifted leaders who would serve their respective dioceses with dedication.
Canon Ntagali will be consecrated on 18 December at St Matthew's Cathedral, Masindi, while Dr Niringiye will be consecrated on 30 January 2005 at All Saints Cathedral, Kampala.
Article By Justus Waimiri in Nairobi