The Holy See has officially announced the appointment of Reverend Father Bonaventure Bosco Gubazire as the new Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kabale in South Western Uganda. His appointment was made public on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at the Our Lady of Good Shepherd Rushoroza Cathedral Parish – Kabale by Rev. Fr. Georges Kwami Kouwonou, Chargé d’Affaires at the Nunciature in Kampala, Uganda. This also coincided with the memorial of Saint Bonaventure.

Father Gubazire, aged 52, is a member of the Society of the Missionaries of Africa, popularly known as the White Fathers. At the time of his appointment, he was serving as the Rector of St. Martin of Tours Formation House in Ejisu, Ghana.

The Holy Father also accepted the resignation of Bishop Callist Rubaramira, who submitted his resignation upon reaching the age of 75, in accordance with Canon 401 of the Code of Canon Law. Bishop Rubaramira has served the Diocese of Kabale since 2003 and will continue to lead the diocese as Apostolic Administrator until the new bishop is formally installed. The specific date for Bishop Gubazire’s episcopal ordination and installation will be announced by the diocese in due course.

For the people of Kigezi, this appointment marks a moment of special significance,  a homecoming for the bishop-elect. Born on March 3, 1974, in Kitumba within the Diocese of Kabale, Father Gubazire’s roots are deeply embedded in the region. He attended St. Paul’s Minor Seminary in Rushoroza before joining the Society of Missionaries of Africa.

His academic journey took him across continents, studying philosophy and religious studies in Jinja, Uganda; theology at the Institut Catholique in Toulouse, France; and earning a licentiate in philosophy from the Milltown Institute in Dublin, Ireland. He was ordained a priest on August 10, 2003, just two months after Bishop Rubaramira’s own episcopal ordination.

Father Gubazire’s missionary work has spanned four continents. He served as a Parish Vicar and Adult Formation Director in Mozambique from 2003 to 2007, then pursued further studies in Lyon, France. He also earned a Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of San Carlos in Cebu, Philippines, where he additionally served as Rector of the Our Lady of Africa Formation House Seminary.

His leadership roles include serving as Dean of Studies at Lechaptois Formation House in Balaka, Malawi, and acting as interim Rector. Between 2011 and 2016, he was Malawi Section Delegate for the Protection of Minors. Since 2021, he has been Dean of Studies at Spiritan   University College in Ejisu, Ghana, where he lectures in Philosophy and Social Sciences, mentors seminarians, and was appointed Rector of the College’s Philosophy Formation House in 2023. He has also been a member of the Provincial Council of the Ghana-Nigeria Province of the Missionaries of Africa since 2025.

His academic interests focus on Communitarian Cultures, Ethics, and Classical Theism, and Environmental Stewardship, themes increasingly emphasized by the Church in its call to care for creation and Mother Earth.

This appointment carries historical significance. The Missionaries of Africa commonly known as White Fathers pioneered the Catholic faith in the Kigezi region, establishing the Rushoroza mission in Kabale in 1909. Father Gubazire becomes the second member of the Society of the Missionaries of Africa to lead the diocese, after late Bishop Robert- Marie Gay, who served from 1994 to 2003.

The Society of Missionaries of Africa was among the first to celebrate the news. In a statement, the Superior General and the General Council expressed their congratulations and entrusted Bishop Gubazire’s new mission to the intercession of Our Lady of Africa, the Holy Martyrs of Uganda, and Saint Bonaventure.

Established in 1966 from the Diocese of Mbarara, the Diocese of Kabale covers approximately 5,330 square kilometers of the Kigezi highlands. It is a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Mbarara. Bishop Gubazire will be its Fifith bishop, continuing the legacy of service and faith in the region.

The Catholic Diocese of Kabale was erected in 1966 from the then Diocese of Mbarara, it covers approximately 5,330 square kilometers of the Kigezi highlands and is a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Mbarara. Bishop Gubazire will be its fifth bishop, continuing the legacy of service and faith in the region.

By. Sr. Olivia Tumuramye