CATHOLIC CHURCH POWER SHIFT! Mbarara Archbishop Lambert Bainomugisha Elected Deputy Chairman of Uganda Episcopal Conference
Mbarara Archbishop Lambert Bainomugisha
KAMPALA – Archbishop Lambert Bainomugisha of Mbarara has climbed into the top leadership of Uganda’s Catholic Church after being elected vice-chairman of the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC), placing him at the centre of the body that coordinates the country’s Catholic bishops.
Bainomugisha, who has served as Archbishop of Mbarara since 2020, will deputise Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok of Lira, who was elected the new UEC chairman, replacing Bishop Joseph Antony Zziwa of Kiyinda-Mityana.
The election took place during a plenary sitting at St Augustine Institute. Rev. Fr. Philip Odii, Executive Secretary of the Uganda Catholic Secretariat’s Social Communications Department, confirmed the leadership changes and said details of the other Executive Board members would Be Announced Later.
Bainomugisha’s elevation marks another major milestone in a Church career spanning more than three decades. Born on July 12, 1961, in Kashumba, present-day Isingiro District, he was ordained a priest on July 13, 1991, in Mbarara.
He pursued philosophical studies at St Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Katigondo, Masaka, before undertaking theological training at St Mary’s National Major Seminary, Ggaba, Kampala.
He later obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Canon Law from Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada, an academic background that has shaped his experience in Church administration and legal affairs.
Before his elevation to the episcopate, Bainomugisha served in several roles within the Archdiocese of Mbarara, including as chancellor between 2000 and 2005. He also served as chaplain at Corpus Christi Chaplaincy at Mbarara University of Science and Technology and worked in various parish assignments.
His rise through the Church hierarchy began on July 2, 2005, when he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Mbarara. He was consecrated on October 1, 2005, under the leadership of then Archbishop Paul Kamuza Bakyenga.
In April 2020, Pope Francis appointed him Archbishop of Mbarara following the retirement of Bakyenga. He was formally installed on June 20, 2020.
Now as UEC vice-chairman, Bainomugisha joins the leadership responsible for coordinating the Catholic Church’s national engagements in pastoral work, education, social development and advocacy.
The Uganda Episcopal Conference, established in 1960, brings together Catholic bishops across the country and serves as the Church’s official link with the Holy See and other regional episcopal bodies, including the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA).
Wanok, the new chairman, previously served as vice-chairman from November 2022. Zziwa, whom he replaces, first took the chair in November 2018 and was re-elected in 2022.
The leadership transition comes at a time when the Catholic Church remains an influential voice in national discussions on governance, peace, social justice, education and interfaith cooperation.
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