John Baptist Kaggwa

John Baptist Kaggwa (23 March 1943 20 January 2021) was a Ugandan Roman Catholic prelate who was Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Masaka, where he served as the Ordinary from 10 January 1998 until his retirement on 16 April 2019. For a period of more than three years, from 19 December 1994 until 10 January 1998, Kaggwa served as Coadjutor Bishop of Masaka, Uganda.[1]


John Baptist Kaggwa
Bishop Emeritus of Masaka, Uganda
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
ArchdioceseRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala
SeeRoman Catholic Diocese of Masaka
Appointed19 December 1994
Installed24 June 1995
Term ended16 April 2019
PredecessorAdrian Kivumbi Ddungu
SuccessorServerus Jjumba
Orders
Ordination12 December 1971
Consecration24 June 1995
by Adrian Kivumbi Ddungu
Personal details
Born(1943-03-23)23 March 1943
Bulenga, Wakiso District, Uganda
Died20 January 2021(2021-01-20) (aged 77)
Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
Previous postCoadjutor Bishop of Masaka (1994–1998)
Styles of
John Baptist Kaggwa
Reference style
Religious styleBishop

Background and education

He was born on 23 March 1943 at Bulenga, Busiro County, Wakiso District, in the Buganda Region of Uganda. He attended Lubaga Boys Primary School from 1952 until he completed Primary 6 in 1957. He then joined Kisubi Minor Seminary in 1958. While at Kisubi, he studied Latin. Later he studied at Katigondo Major Seminary, were he studied Philosophy.[1][2]

In 1965, Archbishop Joseph Kiwanuka sent him to study at Pontifical Urban University, in Rome, on scholarship. He was ordained deacon in May 1970 in Rome. He held a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Canon Law and Secular Law, awarded by Pontifical Urban University.[1][2][3]

Priesthood

He was ordained a priest on 12 December 1971 in Rome, at the age of 28. Following his doctoral studies, he was appointed vice-rector of the Pontifical College of St Paul, in Rome, for five years. He returned to Uganda in the 1980s and was appointed the first rector of St. Mbaaga Seminary at Ggaba.[2][3]

On 19 December 1994, he was appointed the coadjutor Bishop of Masaka. He was consecrated bishop on 24 June 1995 by his predecessor, Bishop Adrian Kivumbi Ddungu. He succeeded as Bishop of Masaka, Uganda on 10 January 1998.[2][3] Under his leadership the diocese supported development projects including the construction of new schools, homes, shops and farms. The income from these projects helped fund the diocese and a shopping arcade was named after Kaggwa. During his time as bishop the diocese set up its own radio station, Centenary FM.[4]

On 6 July 2019, Kaggwa was the Principal Consecrator of his replacement, Bishop Serverus Jjumba as the Ordinary of Masaka Diocese. Kaggwa then retired as bishop but continued to work in the diocese as directed by Bishop Jjumba.[2] Three days after his retirement Kaggwa called for private investigators to look into the murder of Brother Norbert Emmanuel Mugarura, the Superior General of the Brothers of St. Charles Lwanga religious order who was killed in university premises.[5]

COVID-19 pandemic

In June 2020 he asked the Ugandan government to consider postponing the 2021 Ugandan general election because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kaggwa was concerned that with mass rallies and canvassing events replaced with virtual campaigning the electorate not be engaged. He feared the measures would favour incumbent candidates and proposed delaying the election by up to two years. At the same time Kaggwa campaigned for arcade shop-owners to be allowed to reopen, as shopping malls had been allowed to do so.[6]

On 17 October a prayer event held by Kaggwa for members of the Mbogo Clan at Singo was raided by police and the Ugandan military. Tear gas and live bullets were used to disperse attendees. It is believed the action was related to the expected attendance of Bobi Wine, a Mbogo member, at the event. Several Wine supporters had previously been arrested by the security services.[7] The police later apologised to the church and to Kaggwa for using tear gas during the operation.[8]

Kaggwa died on 20 January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda of COVID-19, which he had first contracted two months prior.[4][9]

See also

Succession table

Preceded by
Adrian Kivumbi Ddungu
Bishop of Masaka
1998–2019
Succeeded by
Serverus Jjumba

References

  1. David M. Cheney (24 March 2020). "MicroData Summary for John Baptist Kaggwa". Kansas City: Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  2. Juliet Lukwago (23 May 2019). "Retiring bishop of Masaka looks back at his hilarious journey". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  3. Christopher Kisekka (5 November 2016). "Bishop Kaggwa: Activist in a robe". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  4. "Former Masaka bishop succumbs to Covid-19". Daily Monitor. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  5. "Bishop Kaggwa wants private investigations into murder of Brother Mugarura". Daily Monitor. 9 July 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  6. "Bishop Kaggwa asks govt to postpone 2021 elections over Coronavirus". Daily Monitor. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  7. Ssevwami, Javira (17 October 2020). "Military disperses Mbogo Clan prayers over Bobi Wine, stop mass led by Bishop Kaggwa". PML Daily. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  8. Wright, hattie (20 October 2020). "Police Bosses Apologize to Bishop Kaggwa". ChimpReports. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  9. Bishop John Baptist Kaggwa
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