Former Northern Uganda bishop Rev. Ogwal Abwang dead

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The retired Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda, Rev. Benioni Ogwal Abwang, has died.

Bishop Ogwal passed away at St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor in Gulu at around 11:00am after spending more than a week in critical care.

Family sources, as well as clergy and doctors from the diocese, confirmed that the former bishop succumbed to heart and kidney failure.

“He was on oxygen for about two weeks. He had breathing difficulties up to the time he breathed his last,” said retired Anglican Bishop of Kitgum Diocese, McLeod Baker Ochola II.

“Two of his children, who had just arrived barely three hours earlier at 10:00am today (Sunday), did not talk to their father because he was reportedly deeply unconscious,” Bishop Ochola II added.

Bishop Ogwal Abwang succeeded the late Archbishop Janani Luwum, who was bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda before becoming Archbishop of the Province of the Church of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga-Zaire.

Bishop McLeod Baker Ochola II described the late Bishop Ogwal Abwang as a trusted clergyman and bishop, a brother to many clergy during his pastoral service, very honest and a bishop with a clean record of work.

“The late Bishop Ogwal Abwang, who was 10 years younger than me, was a very brilliant bishop, brave and dedicated to his pastoral work. By the grace of God, his bravery enabled him to serve during the very difficult period of the war under Idi Amin’s reign of terror in this country. The security situation was extremely bad when he served as bishop in the Diocese of Northern Uganda, but he stood firm, even though he had to flee into exile in the UK,” said Bishop Ochola II.

“He later returned home permanently. I request the Diocese of Northern Uganda to take a leaf from the legacy he left behind,” he added.

Ogwal Abwang was born on October 9, 1942, and died aged 83. He was born in Adilang to Yovani Otto (father) and Gladys Lawino (mother).

He attended Adilang Primary School and Lira Palwo Junior Secondary School for his Ordinary Level education. Although he aimed to study at Gulu High School, Rev. Janani Luwum, who was then an archdeacon in Agago, advised and helped him to enrol at Buwalasi Theological College in Mbale, eastern Uganda. He studied there from 1961 to 1962.

Janani Luwum appointed him principal of the Acholi Archdeaconry Training Centre at the young age of 23, where he served for one year in 1963 before being transferred to Boroboro in Lira (Lango) to help translate the Bible into the Luo language.

He worked on this translation as part of a team for two years.

In 1965, Luwum, who was then based at Buwalasi, arranged for Ogwal to sit exams for a diploma in theology at Mukono Theological College. Ogwal Abwang earned a university diploma in theology from 1966 to 1969, awarded by Makerere University.

Earlier, he had requested the Bible Society of Uganda to sponsor him in studying English and correspondence courses between 1964 and 1965.

St Janani Luwum, then bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda, ordained him a priest in 1969—the same year Luwum was elected bishop of Northern Uganda.

Ogwal attained education from St Monica (now Gulu High School), Uganda Christian University, and the University of Western Ontario in the United Kingdom.

He served as the bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda from 1974 to 1989, during the reign of Janani Luwum, who was killed by then-president Idi Amin in 1977.

New Vision recently conducted an exclusive interview with Bishop Ogwal Abwang at his city home in Kirombe ward, Bardege-Layibi Division on February 11, 2025, during which he shared his extensive knowledge about St Janani Luwum.

Betty Aol Ocan, the Gulu city woman MP, stated: “It is very sad that we lost a prominent religious leader and bishop who was always ready to serve and lead his flock. He was very humble, loving, and passionate in his work as a bishop.”

The retired Anglican bishop of DNU, Rev. Nelson Onono-Onweng, who was consecrated and ordained as a deacon and priest in 1975 and 1977, respectively, by Bishop Ogwal Abwang, described him as “a forgiving, honest, fatherly, dedicated and hardworking servant of God”.