KABALE— Kabale Diocese is in the final stages of preparations for the Episcopal Ordination and Installation of Msgr. Bonaventure Bosco Gubazire as the fifth Bishop of Kabale Diocese, with more than 20,000 people expected to attend the historic ceremony.
The ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the St. Ignatius University Kabale (IGUKA) grounds, which were selected to provide sufficient space for the large number of faithful and invited guests expected to attend.
Speaking during a press conference on Thursday, Msgr. John Vianney Sunday, Episcopal Delegate for Kabale Diocese, said preparations began immediately after Pope Leo XIV announced the appointment of Msgr. Gubazire as the new Bishop of Kabale Diocese on July 15, 2026.
He explained that shortly after the announcement, a Central Organizing Committee (COC) and several subcommittees were established to coordinate various aspects of the ceremony. These include invitations, liturgy, protocol and reception, construction, security, catering, transport, accommodation and the overall management of the event.
Msgr. Sunday said the ceremony was moved from Rushoroza Cathedral grounds to St. Ignatius University Kabale because the university provides a larger venue capable of accommodating the expected number of congregants.
He further said the Bishop-elect, Msgr. Bonaventure Bosco Gubazire, will be the principal figure of the ecclesiastical celebration, while President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is expected to be the chief political figure at the ceremony.
Security arrangements intensified.
Msgr. Sunday said security personnel were deployed at the venue on September 30 to assess the grounds, monitor the surroundings and ensure that the venue is secure and ready for the celebrations.
He noted that the heightened security measures are intended to safeguard the large gathering and prevent any individuals from taking advantage of the occasion to cause disruption.
Continuing the legacy of Bishop Callist Rubaramira
Msgr. Bonaventure Bosco Gubazire is a member of the Missionaries of Africa, a congregation whose missionary presence has a long historical connection with the spread and development of the Catholic faith in the Kigezi region.
Kabale Diocese expects the incoming bishop to build on the foundation established by Rt. Rev. Callist Rubaramira, Bishop Emeritus of Kabale, during his 23-year episcopate, particularly in strengthening the financial sustainability and development initiatives in the Diocese.
Msgr. John Vianney Sunday described Bishop Rubaramira’s episcopate as significant in the development of the Diocese, highlighting initiatives aimed at strengthening Small Christian Communities (SCCs) and the Bishop’s Annual Appeal Fund (BAAF).
According to the Diocese, these initiatives contributed to the establishment and development of several projects and institutions, including a commercial building in Kabale Town, Radio Maria, Centenary Bank branches in Kabale, Kisoro and Rukungiri, and St. Ignatius University Kabale, among others.
Bishop Callist Rubaramira was ordained and installed as Bishop of Kabale Diocese on June 8, 2003. After serving the Diocese for 23 years, Pope Leo XIV accepted his resignation on July 15, 2026, upon reaching the canonical retirement age for bishops. Msgr. Bonaventure Bosco Gubazire was subsequently appointed as his successor.
Who is Bishop-elect Bonaventure Bosco Gubazire?
Bishop-elect Bonaventure Bosco Gubazire was born on March 3, 1974, in Kitumba, Rushoroza Cathedral Parish, to Vanansio and Solome Gubazire.
He is the second-born in a family of seven children. He began his education at Rushoroza Boys Primary School before joining St. Paul’s Seminary, where he completed his secondary education.
He later proceeded to the Philosophy Centre in Jinja, where he joined the Missionaries of Africa, commonly known as the White Fathers.
Msgr. Gubazire was ordained a priest on August 10, 2003, by Bishop Callist Rubaramira. Since his ordination, he has served the Church in several countries, including Mozambique, France, Malawi, the Philippines and Ghana.
Before his appointment as Bishop of Kabale, Gubazire served as Rector of St. Martin of Tours Formation House in Ejisu, Ghana.
He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of San Carlos in Cebu, Philippines, which he obtained in 2020.
His Episcopal Ordination and Installation on October 3 will mark a new chapter in the history of Kabale Diocese as he assumes leadership of the Diocese as its fifth bishop since it’s inception on April 17, 1966.