Former Mbarara Archbishop Paul Bakyenga Passes on

The cleric passed away at the age of 79 at Nsambya Hospital in Kampala.

Bakyenga served at the Archbishop of Mbarara for 21 years until he was replaced in April 2020 by Lambert Bainomugisha.

The Church was yet to put out an official communication on the sad development.

About his life

Bakyenga was the fourth born in a family of 10 children of Sipiriano Kaamuza and Maria Gakibayo of Bumbaire, Igara in Bushenyi District, Archbishop Bakyenga was born on June 30, 1944. 

He went to lbaare Primary School, before he joined Ibanda Preparatory Seminary from 1958 to 1960.  He attended his pre primary school in the church building at Bweeza, writing on sand and banana leaves. 

In 1961, he joined Kitabi Seminary from Ibanda, and then enrolled at Bukalasa seminary in 1965 for A-Level studies but he did not complete.

Later he enrolled as a teacher at Rushoroza Seminary in Kabale before he became a squatter in Ngomanungi, present day Sheema District.

He then enrolled at Kitigondo to study philosophy but abandoned the course two years after. At this point, Bishop John Baptist Kakubi of Mbarara, sent him to study at St Andrews College in Scotland, where he would obtain a degree in Theology.

 He was ordained a priest on July 11, 1971 at Mushenga parish at the age of 27. Eighteen years later, 45-year-old Bakyenga was appointed bishop. 

He has also served as Chaplain of Ntare School in Mbarara, Rector of Kitabi Seminary, and Rector of Ggaba National Seminary from 1985 to 1989, when he was appointed bishop. On January 2, 1999, Pope John Paul II appointed Bakyenga archbishop at the age of 55.