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Rev. Kosea Odongo Elected New Bishop of Soroti Diocese

Reverend Captain Kosea Odongo has been elected as the 6th Bishop of Soroti Diocese. The House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda elected Reverend Odongo on Wednesday, February 20, during the sitting at Lweza Training and Conference Centre.
Rev. Captain Odongo Kosea with his wife Grace Acen Odongo.
Reverend Captain Kosea Odongo has been elected as the 6th Bishop of Soroti Diocese.

The House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda elected Reverend Odongo on Wednesday, February 20, during the sitting at Lweza Training and Conference Centre. Reverend Odongo has been serving as the Chaplain to Archbishop Stanley Ntagali.

Archbishop Ntagali has been the acting Bishop of Soroti Diocese since the retirement of Bishop George William Erwau in July 2018.

Reverend Odongo will be enthroned as Bishop on June 16, 2019 at St. Peter's Cathedral, Soroti. 

Born on January 12, 1971 in Amuria District, Odongo went to Uganda Christian University (UCU), Mukono from where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Divinity and a Master's in Theology respectively. He also holds a Higher Diploma in Theology from Carlile College, Nairobi. 

Odongo has previously worked as Diocesan Mission Coordinator in Soroti Diocese, Diocesan Discipleship Coordinator, Deputy Principal, Priest in Charge Emmanuel Church and Curate. He also served as a Board Chairman for the Amuria District Development Agency and in many other capacities within Church related structures.   

A press statement issued by the Church of Uganda Provincial Secretary, Rev. Canon Captain William Ongeng, Odongo became born again at the age of 17 on June 5, 1988 at St. Peter's Cathedral while staying in Soroti town during the time of insurgency in Teso. Between 1987 and 1992, rebels of the Uganda People's Army waged war against the government of Uganda. The rebels operated from Teso sub-region where thousands were displaced from their homes. It was during this time that a young Odongo migrated from Amuria, then part of Katakwi district, and settled in Soroti town.

Bishop-elect Odongo is married to Grace Acen Odongo and the two are blessed with children.

Since July 12, 2018, Archbishop Ntagali, has been providing episcopal leadership at Soroti Diocese. He appointed Right Reverend Nicodemus Okille, the retired bishop of Bukedi Diocese as caretaker bishop. This followed the retirement of Bishop George Erwau who had attracted controversy in his last years in office.

Bishop Erwau headed the Soroti Diocese for seven years. On July 11, 2018, he held a farewell party amidst reports that he had failed to submit the names of the nominees for his replacement to the office of the Archbishop in time. 

The appointment committee of the Diocese had suggested the names of Rev Robert Olupot, the then Soroti Diocesan Secretary and Rev Canon John Robert Angiro as possible replacements for Bishop Erwau. However, the House of Bishops reportedly suspended the polls during its retreat in Lweza. 

"The House of Bishops suspended the election upon realizing that the names for the nominees had not been handed to the Archbishop," Bishop Edison Irigei, the Dean of the Province of Bishops told URN in a phone interview in June 2018. 

Diocese in Transition

Since its creation the Anglican diocese of Soroti has witnessed many changes including elevation of break-away dioceses and war.

The diocesan vision, “A peaceful, prosperous and spiritually mature Church” appears to reflect this transition over the past 58 years.

Bishop-elect Odongo will step in the big shoes once worn by such eminent men as Bishop Geresom Ilukor, the man who risked all to oppose the UPA war between 1987 and 1992. During this time, Ilukor, the third bishop of Soroti, found himself confronted by war, famine and a population living in displaced people's camps. This was one of the many challenges the diocese has faced since 1961, when it was created out of the Upper Nile Diocese of the Anglican province of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga-Zaire.

The cycle of violence would return to haunt Teso, and Soroti Diocese, in June 2003 when rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army invaded the area. Within three months, three quarters of the population had been displaced. Both the Catholic and Anglican church leaders joined hands with the government to mobilize the population against the war. A local militia, the Arrow Boys, was mobilized and armed to fight the rebels and, by 2005, the latter had been driven out of the area.

But the social ills created by the war, including famine, disease, displacement and family dislocation among others, still remain as Odongo takes over leadership of the diocese.

Other bishops of Soroti were Bernard Obaikol Ebitu; Ssalongo Stephen Tomusage,the first bishop, and  Athanasio Maraka. In 1972, Karamoja sub-region broke away from Soroti Diocese and a new diocese of Diocese was born. A similar move would happen in 2001 when Kumi broke away to form Kumi Diocese.

Soroti Diocese currently has five Archdeaconries and 40 Parishes, in five Administrative Districts of Soroti, Kaberamaido, Amuria, Serere and Katakwi. It is in this area that the diocese has founded, and manages, 276 primary schools, 18 Secondary Schools, three Technical schools, one Theological College and five Health centres.

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