Sheema District Splits From West Ankole Diocese

Sheema District Anglican Community on Saturday announced that they were breaking away from West Ankole Diocese and were to form Central Ankole Diocese. The breakaway comes after the continued bickering with the Bishop of West Ankole Diocese Yona Katonene over the location of Ankole Western Institute Of Science and Technology (AWIST).

Stake holders during the meeting on Saturday

The meeting that sat on Saturday led by stake holders chairman, Yowasi Makaru resolved for a breakaway from the current West Ankole Diocese with Sheema people accusing those of Igara for wanting to relocate the institute from Kabwohe to Katungu in Bushenyi district.

Some of the stake holders during the Saturday meeting at Kabwohe

Resolutions from the joint meeting of Sheema Anglican community members, stakeholders and friends of Ankole Western Institute of Science and Technology (AWIST) held at St.Emmanuel C.O.U Kabwohe on the 30th day of may 2015:

1. We shall and have broken away from West Ankole Diocese.
2. All the Sheema members to the 9th West Ankole Diocesan Synod are hereby withdrawn.
3. The Sheema Anglican community still submits to the Province of the Church of Uganda and do hereby ask the Province to take charge of their affairs till a new diocese is created.
4. We have from today embarked on the process of forming and having our own Diocese that shall be called Central Ankole Diocese.
5. We shall do all it takes to build, develop and sustain Ankole Western University Project at Nganwa Hill, Kabwohe

Part of Sheema people who attended the meeting on Saturday at Kabwohe

6. We do acknowledge and shall co-operate with the Interim Council of the Provincial Education committee in the running of the affairs of AWIST till a substantive Council is formed.
7. Due to Bishop Yona Katonene’s persistent misconduct in the running the affairs of Sheema, we hereby declare that he is no longer welcome in any of our churches and should not hold any Pastoral function in Sheema.

8. Working with the interim University council, we shall follow up with the Uganda Christian University (UCU) council to reinstate the tampered with affiliation by Bishop Yona Mwesigwa Katonene.
9. We affirm our commitment and support for His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and shall together steer the development of Sheema district.
10. We shall ensure that the Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu Council hands over to the Provincial Education committee for proper University Administration.