Bishop Bainomugisha Appointed New Archbishop of Mbarara
The Auxiliary Bishop of Mbarara, Rt Rev Lambert Bainomugisha has been appointed the new Archbishop of Mbarara. He replaces the Most Rev Paul Bakyenga who is resigning from the pastoral care of the archdiocese upon clocking the canonical age limit of 75 years.
The announcement of Bainomugisha was made this afternoon by the apostolic Nuncio Luigi Bianco.
“The Apostolic Nunciature has the joy to announce that the Holy Father Pope Francis has appointed Rt Rev Lambert Bainomumugisha as the new Archbishop of Mbarara,” the letter reads. the same was also published in the Vatican this afternoon.
The Rt. Rev. Lambert Bainomugisha was born July 12, 1961, at Kashumba, Bukanga, Isingiro in what was at that time the Diocese of Mbarara. He studied both in Uganda and in Canada and obtained a degree in Canon Law through the University of St Paul of Ottawa. He was ordained a priest on July 13, 1991, at Mbarara Cathedral.
He exercised his pastoral ministry for several years in St Joseph the Worker Parish in Rubindi, Mbarara and as Chaplain at Corpus Christi Chaplaincy of Mbarara University of Science at Technology, and as Chancellor of Mbarara Archdiocese from 2000 to 2005. On 2 July 2005, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Mbarara and Titular Bishop of Tacia Montana. He received episcopal consecration on October 1, the same year.
On 13 November 2009 Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Hoima. During the time Bishop Deogratipus Byabazaire was bedridden and too weak to undertake pastoral work in Hoima, until his death in 2014.
Bishop Baimomugisha remained in charge of the Diocese until a new Bishop of Hoima was ordained and appointed on 29 February 2016. Bishop Lambert then returned to the Archdiocese of Mbarara to continue his duties as Auxiliary Bishop.
Archbishop-elect Bainomugisha is also the President of the Legal Service Commission and is a member of other commissions of Uganda Episcopal Conference.
Born on June 30, 1944, in Bumbire, Igara-Bushenyi, Archbishop Bakyenga turned 75 years on June 30, 2019, after serving the Catholic church for 49 years. He remains the Apostolic Administrator of Mbarara until the day of the canonical possession by the new Archbishop.
