Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu has asked the Church of Uganda’s Provincial Assembly to lift a suspension that has stalled constitutional reforms for more than two years, potentially reviving one of the church’s most contentious governance reviews. The archbishop requested a closed session at the opening of the three-day Provincial Assembly, the church’s highest decision-making body.
According to delegates attending the Assembly, he urged members to prayerfully consider ending the suspension to allow an independent study of the proposed reforms to proceed. The review process was suspended at the 27th Provincial Assembly after sharp divisions emerged over a series of proposed amendments.
At the time, Archbishop Kaziimba proposed postponing consideration of the reforms until an independent study examined the constitutional status and governance of the province.
The assembly directed the Provincial Assembly Standing Committee to commission the study by December 31, 2024, after which an extraordinary Provincial Assembly would consider both the study’s findings and the proposed amendments.
The Archbishop explained that the Standing Committee was unable to establish the task force because of fears that the exercise would deepen divisions within the church. He reportedly cited inadequate preparation by the Provincial Secretariat and budget constraints.
According to delegates, Kazimba revealed that the standing committee had resolved to ask the current Provincial Assembly to lift the stay, allowing the incoming committee to constitute a task force, undertake the study, and present recommendations to the next assembly.
Sources told Uganda Radio Network that the proposal is expected to attract broad support.”The atmosphere is different from the previous assembly. The tensions that surrounded the proposed amendments have eased, making delegates more receptive to restarting the process,” one delegate said.
If delegates agree to lift the stay, the proposed constitutional amendments will not be debated during the current assembly. The decision would allow the church to commission the long-delayed study before the reforms return to a future Provincial Assembly for consideration.
The constitutional review was first initiated by the 26th Provincial Assembly, which resolved that the Constitution and Canons should be amended to eliminate inconsistencies and address governance challenges within the church. A provincial committee subsequently prepared draft amendments and circulated them to diocesan synods for consultation.
While a few proposals were endorsed with modifications, many generated strong oppositions, prompting the committee to compile recommendations covering at least 18 major areas. Among the proposed reforms is a provision to formally establish the Constitution as the supreme law of the Church of Uganda.
The review committee argued that although Canon 1:5 provides for the governance of the church, the Constitution itself does not expressly define its legal supremacy. There is also a proposal that seeks to reform the nomination and election of bishops. This issue has in the past generated disputes in dioceses including Kumi, Muhabura, Luweero, and Namirembe.
In several cases, Christians rejected nominated candidates or challenged elections in civil courts, disputes that church leaders have long argued should be resolved within ecclesiastical structures. The review committee recommended expanding bishop nomination committees to include representatives of the province.
The committee argued that because bishops are provincial officers and potential future archbishops, their nomination should involve both diocesan and provincial participation. The House of Bishops had already endorsed that recommendation. Similar proposals had been raised several times since the current Constitution was adopted in 1972 but have never secured sufficient support.
The review had also proposed increasing the retirement age for bishops from 65 to 70 years while retaining the minimum nomination age at 45. The proposal stated that the higher retirement age would apply only to future bishops and not those currently serving.
Another proposal that generated debate was seeking to centralize ownership of church land and property under the Registered Trustees of the Church of Uganda, represented by serving bishops, instead of leaving ownership with individual dioceses. The Church of Uganda last amended its Constitution in 1994 and 2016, while its Canons were revised in 1997 and 2018-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
