Tom Mboya Okecho and Emmanuel Omwony, on 19 October 2021, through their lawyers Waymo Advocates filed a suit at Gulu High Court seeking a permanent injunction on the consecration of Rev Loum.
![]()
Courtesy photo of Bishop elect Rev Geoffrey Loum
Two members of the laity of the Diocese of Northern Uganda have
dragged the Church of Uganda to court for breach of the Canon Laws while
conducting the election of Rev. Geoffrey Loum.
Rev Loum was elected by the House of Bishops sitting Lweza
Training and Conference Centre in Entebbe on August 12 as the 8th Bishop
Diocese of Northern Uganda. His consecration has been slated to take place on November
21 2021 at St. Philip's Cathedral in Gulu.
Rev Loum would be succeeding Rev Johnson Gakumba, who has
been Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda since 2009 but sought early
retirement at the age of 62.
Tom Mboya Okecho and Emmanuel Omwony, on 19 October 2021, through their lawyers Waymo
Advocates filed a suit at Gulu High Court seeking a permanent injunction on the
consecration of Rev Loum.
Other defendants summoned in the suit include the Registered
Trustees of the Diocese of Northern Uganda, Registered Trustees of the Church
of Uganda, Archbishop Rev. Dr Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, Francis Gimara
and Rev Geoffrey Loum.
The two claim Rev. Loum's selection for appointment as a
Bishop was grossly irregular as it was conducted in violation of the Provincial
canons. They also claim the Bishop’s nomination committee chaired by Francis
Gimara was illegal and unconstitutional.
They also argue that the failure by the Registered Trustees of the
Province of Church of Uganda and the Archbishop to cancel and nullify the
illegal appointment of Rev Loum as the Bishop of Northern Uganda Diocese amounts
to a breach of duty and failure to perform functions of imposed on the
Archbishop by the Constitution of the Province of the Church of Uganda.
They want a court order to nullify and set aside the appointment
of Rev Loum as the Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Northern Uganda. They
also want an order to cause the trustees to cause the appointment of
appropriate and legally constituted nominations committee for the selection and
appointment of the Bishop.
They also want a permanent injunction issued against defendants
from declaring and consecrating or enthroning Rev Geoffrey Loum as the Bishop
of the Diocese of Northern Uganda, and any punitive and aggravated damages
arising out of the defendants’ acts slapped with costs.
Gulu High Court has given the defendants 14 days to file a Defense.
Journalist
Ochola's journalism career begun from Radio King 90.2 FM in Gulu around 2009, and Radio Rupiny 95.7 Fm under Vision Group in 2012. He also reported for Mighty Fire 91.5 Fm, Kitgum in 2015 before joining Wizarts Foundation in 2017.
He has been reporting for Uganda Radio Network (URN) since 2017 before being posted as Bureau Chief Kitgum, and later Gulu between 2018 - 2021. Currently, he reports from Parliament.
