Investigation Xclusive: The Smelly Nullification of Luwero Diocese Bishop-elect Rev. Godfrey Kasana Uncovers the Deadly Mafioso within the Church

The Anglican Church, through the House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda, June 30^th 2023, nullified the election of the fourth bishop of Luweero Diocese, and canceled his consecration which was scheduled for July 16^th 2023. This decision, they claimed in an official statement, was reached after obtaining “credible” information touching allegations of infidelity.

The statement dated June 30 and signed by the Provincial Secretary, the Rev. Can. William Ongeng, revealed that the House of Bishops, sitting at Kabalega Resort in Hoima District, western Uganda, nullified the election and consecration of the Rev. Canon Godfrey Kasana Ssemakula. Kasana had been elected the fourth bishop of Luweero Diocese on April 3^rd 2023. He was replacing the outgoing Bishop, Rt. Rev. Eridard Nsubuga, who was to abdicate on July 9^th 2023 upon hitting his retirement age of 65.

“The extraordinary decision was taken because credible information was received that the Bishop-elect’s integrity was misrepresented during the nomination and election process, which invalidated the election,” read the statement in part. It added; “We regret the immediate impact this decision will have on Luweero Diocese as well as on the bishop-elect and his family.”

Some of the Christians who gathered for protest prayers

Indeed, their regret for “the immediate impact” was not a waste of assumption. For, immediately after the House of Bishops` decision, a section of Christians organized a special service to pray and protest the nullification of their Rev. Canon Godfrey Kasana Ssemakula.

This was on July 7^th 2023, just a week after COU had announced the nullification. The aggrieved Christians led by David Kizito, a member of the St. Mark Cathedral Choir, organized the service to pray for Rev. Canon Kasana, whom they are persuaded, was unfairly disqualified. These, had full support and backing of the Luweero District Chairman Erastus Kibirango.

Kibirango, also the Diocesan Vice Chancellor and Diocesan Lawyer, backed the protesting Christians` prayers saying that it’s their right to pray and demonstrate peacefully. He concurred that Christians are aggrieved by the disqualification of Kasana whom they considered the true native of Luwero. Following these developments, this mighty investigative website went down to do what we do best – investigate.

The Story

We indeed went down to investigate. And our unfolding findings are as shocking as the dirty politics threatening to eat up the Temple of Christ. We have established a mafia clique headed by three people, including two Nakasongola-premised tycoons and a central government minister (names withheld pending some verifications). The trio, we have gathered, wished the throne to be bestowed onto their own, the Diocesan Provost and Dean of Cathedral, Rev Can. Godfrey Muwanguzi.

They believed Muwanguzi`s victory would be a walkover since they had established that almost 70% of the current quorum of the House of Bishops are his OBs at Theological School of Mukono. But God`s ways are not people`s ways. For, unfortunately, Muwanguzi didn’t go through when his name came up at the Synod sitting at Hot Springs Villas in Ndejje where, they instead selected Can Godfrey Kasana Ssemakula and Rev. Abel Sserwanja Melewooma, the Kireka based St. Stephens COU Priest.

But Melewooma, whose church boasts of the Buganda Queen, Lady Sylvia Nagginda as one of their congregation members, was later cancelled out upon establishing that he had forged his age documents. He had submitted that he was 45yrs, in hope that he would have hit the age by the selection time! This revelation and eventual petition were made by Muwanguzi camp, believing that Melewooma`s disqualification would definitely leave their candidate in the second position!

But again, God`s ways are not people`s ways. For, the 15-member Nominations Committee, led by the Chancellor Owek Apollo Nelson Makubuya, as well as the Synod, instead sent in Namirembe Cathedral’s Vicar, Rev. Abraham Muyinda`s name. It is now that the mafia reportedly shoved into blackmail against the bishop-elect Godfrey Kasana.

Christians Crying to God for their Choice

They hit these levels by levelling gross adultery allegations against Kasana. These ones paraded a one Kenneth R. Kikabi, a reported congregant at St. Mark’s Cathedral, as the lead petitioner in favor of Rev. Kasana Ssemakula` disqualification, accusing him of allegedly siring children outside wedlock in contravention of the ten commandments and canon laws. Kikabi insisted that Kasana was not fit to lead the diocese because he committed adultery.

Whereas Kasana repeatedly denied the allegations, his pleas seem to have landed on deaf ears of the people at the province, led by none but the Archbishop, the Very Rt. Rev. Stephen Kazimba Mugalu! Our investigations authoritatively established that indeed, the Man of God in Kazimba acted on total rumors and speculations! Sadly, his team majorly acted basing on phone call records which, shamingly, were illegally obtained!

On top of the above variances, we established that actually, Rev. Kasana was never fairly managed as he was not heard before a decision against him was taken! This stance, even when the call records were supposedly extracted off his line! To the effect of unfairness they exhibited, the province officials must have gotten wind of the grievances back in the Diocese.

This is because on Sunday July 9^th 2023 when the Right. Rev. Eridard Nsubuga, the outgoing Bishop, was meant to abdicate and hand over ecclesiastical authority to Archbishop Stephen Kazimba Mugalu, the latter never turned up for the function, yet with not convincing reasons. Instead, the Provincial Secretary wrote to Bp. Nsubuga, notifying him of a “team from office of the archbishop” that was to officiate over the abdication service.

The situation continues to escalate, and the controversy surrounding the nullification of Rev. Kasana`s election raises concerns about transparency, fairness, and the involvement of external influences within the Church’s hierarchy. The faithful await further developments as the House of Bishops’ decision continues to reverberate throughout Luweero Diocese and the broader Anglican community in Uganda. Indeed, Bp. Nsubuga abdicated and handed over office to “the team” but, not without a sting warning… Watch this space…

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Stanley Ndawula: Stanley Ndawula is a two and a half decades’ seasoned investigative journalist with a knack for serious crimes investigations and reporting. He’s the Founding Editorial Director and CEO at The Investigator Publications (U) Limited