The House of the Bishops have cancelled the Luweero Bishop elect, Rev. Canon Godfrey Kasana Ssemakula, a few days left to his consecration.
After his election on April 13, 2023, the house of the bishops set July 16, 2023 as the official date for the consecration of Rev. Kasana.
However, the same house of the bishops which sat in Hoima on Wednesday night on June 28, 2023 led by the Archbishop, Stephen Kazimba Mugalu cancelled Kasana’s election following a petition against him by a section of Christians in Luweero diocese who were not ok with his enthronement as the bishop citing facts that he gave birth to children outside his official marriage.
Canon Kasana, who was on Thursday meant to meet the Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga did not make it after getting the sad news from the house of bishops which cut short his joy waiting to take on the top most job in the diocese. It is alleged that the bishop fainted after getting this information and that he was admitted.
Canon Kasana’s subject is said to have raised a lot of debate and tension in the house of the bishops as some of the bishops wanted him to stay and go on to be consecrated but a big number decided to have his election and consecration cancelled.
A group of the Christians from Luweero diocese led by Kenneth Kikabi have over several times been petitioning the house of the bishops and presenting their dissatisfactions to the Archbishop right from the selection of the names which were presented before the house of the bishops.
The challenged the name of Rev. Abel Sserwanja Mereewooma of Kireka parish in Namirembe diocese and his name was cancelled on grounds of flouting a number of procedures which included being belore the mandatory age and having submitted his name late.
Rev. Sserwanja’s name was withdrawn and replaced with that of Rev. Abraham Muyinda. Canon Kasana therefore emerged winner and the Archbishop declared him the bishop elect for Luweero diocese.
Canon Kasana was meant to replace the third bishop of Luweero, Bp. Eldad Nsubuga whose retirement date is overdue.
It was again the same team of Kikabi which also challenged the election of Canon Kasana accusing him of having committed adultery when he was already married and serving as a clergy. He therefore gave birth to some children out of his official marriage and they are those children that he had concealed but the truth was later revealed.
It was a very painful decision for the house of the bishops to cancel their earlier decision of Canon Kasana but they had no option after the matter had gone viral. Those against his consecration reasoned that if he had been enthroned, he would tarnish the image of the Church .
The Church of Uganda clarified that if any elected bishop fails to be consecrated over several concerns and challenges, the archbishop takes over the diocese and appoints a caretaker bishop for a limited period of time. That arrangement is not supposed to take more than two years.
Who is Canon Kasana?
- Canon Godfrey Kasana Ssemakula was born on January 11, 1971at Ssekamuli, Wabiyinja in Baamunaanika Constituency, Luweero district.
- He took Jesus as his personal saviour on September 17, 1996.
- He was awarded the Bachelors of Divinity degree of Uganda Christian University in 2009. By the time of his election, he was studying for a Master of Arts in Development Studies at Ndejje University.
- He became a reverend in 2009 and a canon in 2020 at Mark’s Cathedral in Luweero.
- He is married to Harriet Kasana with seven children.
Canon Kasana now follows the following Church servants who were elected bishops and later cancelled;
Rev. Charles Oode Okunya of Kumi diocese. Rev. Okunya was elected on November 19, 2019 and cancelled a few days to his consecration on December 29, 2020. Those who challenged his election said he had lied about his true age and that he had multiple wives.
Okunya was replaced with Rev. Mike Okwii Esakan who appointed Okunya as the diocesan education secretary, but he later denounced the Anglican faith.
In 2001, the House of the Bishops elected Canon David Sebuhinja as the bishop elect of Kisoro diocese but the Christians led by the diocesan head of laity objected to him.
Will House of Bishops Pass the Test from Luweero Bishop Election Controversy?