The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) Board Chair, H.E. Rt. Hon. Amb Francis K. Butagira has been appointed to chair a 15-member committee tasked with overseeing the election of the next bishop of the Ankole Diocese, placing him at the centre of a key church transition process.
The committee was constituted on March 26, 2026, during the 27th synod of the Ankole Diocese held at St James Cathedral, Ruharo in Mbarara. It is mandated to lead the process of identifying a successor to Bishop Sheldon Mwesigwa, who is set to retire on September 27, 2027, after more than a decade in office.
Amb. Butagira, who also serves as the diocesan chancellor, will guide the committee through the nomination and selection process, working with a team drawn from clergy and laity. Church leaders say the committee was competitively elected, reflecting a deliberate effort to ensure credibility and trust in the process.
His appointment brings significant experience to the role, having served in high-level legal and diplomatic positions in Uganda. Observers say his leadership is expected to shape a transparent and orderly transition within one of the country’s influential Anglican dioceses.
The search for a new bishop marks an important moment for the Ankole Diocese, with expectations that the process will deliver a leader capable of sustaining its spiritual and socio-economic growth. The committee’s work is now underway, with the church looking ahead to a smooth handover in 2027.