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UGANDA: Police detain protesting Christians in Kumi Diocese
Cancellation of bishop's election called into question
By URN
THE UGANDAN DAILY MONITOR
February 23, 2020
Prayers in the several Anglican churches in Kumi Diocese were on Sunday disrupted as police battled Christians who were protesting against the cancellation of Rev. Charles Okunya Oode election as their next bishop.
Rev Okunya was elected Bishop of Kumi Diocese in November last year to replace Rt. Rev. Thomas Edison Irigei, who retired in the same year.
Rev. Okunya's consecration which was supposed to take place on December 29, 2019; was cancelled after a group of Anglican Christians, the Concerned Christians of Kumi Diocese, lodged a petition alleging that Rev. Okunya was involved in an extra-marital relationship and had sired children outside wedlock.
On February 5, the Church of Uganda leadership revoked his election on grounds that the Bishop-elect was not old enough to become a bishop.
In his letter to Kumi Diocesan Chancellor, Mr Emmanuel Ilukor, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, His Grace Stanley Ntagali, stated that the House of Bishops had reviewed Rev Okunya's National Identity Card, NIRA records, passport, academic records from Uganda Christian University and those submitted by the diocese, during the vetting process and established that he did not qualify for the job.
The records indicate that Rev. Okunya who was born on November 23, 1975, indicating that he was a year younger to attain the age of becoming a bishop in line with Article 13 of the Provincial Constitution and Church of Uganda Provincial Canons.
Prayers in the several Anglican churches in Kumi Diocese were on Sunday disrupted as police battled Christians who were protesting against the cancellation of Rev. Charles Okunya Oode election as their next bishop.
Rev Okunya was elected Bishop of Kumi Diocese in November last year to replace Rt. Rev. Thomas Edison Irigei, who retired in the same year.
Rev. Okunya's consecration which was supposed to take place on December 29, 2019; was cancelled after a group of Anglican Christians, the Concerned Christians of Kumi Diocese, lodged a petition alleging that Rev. Okunya was involved in an extra-marital relationship and had sired children outside wedlock.
On February 5, the Church of Uganda leadership revoked his election on grounds that the Bishop-elect was not old enough to become a bishop.
In his letter to Kumi Diocesan Chancellor, Mr Emmanuel Ilukor, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, His Grace Stanley Ntagali, stated that the House of Bishops had reviewed Rev Okunya's National Identity Card, NIRA records, passport, academic records from Uganda Christian University and those submitted by the diocese, during the vetting process and established that he did not qualify for the job.
The records indicate that Rev. Okunya who was born on November 23, 1975, indicating that he was a year younger to attain the age of becoming a bishop in line with Article 13 of the Provincial Constitution and Church of Uganda Provincial Canons.
