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Lawyers of the Luweero Anglican Diocese have rejected responsibility over legal bill, which the provincial office incurred to defend Archbishop Samuel Kaziimba in court.

The provincial office is in a December 22, 2023, letter asking Luwero Diocese to foot a shillings 18 million legal bill, which is reportedly owned to Agaba Muhairwe and Company Advocates.

The law firm has Naboth Tumuhairwe, the Church of Uganda provincial chancellor, as its managing partner.

According to the letter, which provincial secretary Can. William Ongeng addressed to Luwero caretaker Bishop James Sebaggala, the law firm represented Archbishop Kaziimba when a section of Luwero Christians recently dragged him to court.

The seven Christians, who are based in Luwero, want Kaziimba and the House of Bishops to reverse their June 28 decision during which they nullified Bishop-elect Kasana's election and declare him Luwero Anglican bishop.

The case which was filed in the Luwero High Court, was, however, thrown out by principal judge Flavian Zeija on the grounds that the complainants sued a wrong person in the name of Archbishop Kaziimba.

On December 22, Ongeng wrote asking the Luwero Diocese to foot the legal bill, which the provincial office incurred by hiring the legal firm to defend Kaziimba.

However, Luwero diocesan chancellor Erastus Kibirango on Thursday, December 28, 2023, said it was improper for the law firm to demand for payment when it was doing it's routine work of defending the Church.

Kibirango explained that the legal firm's managing partner, Naboth Muhairwe, is the Church of Uganda chancellor who was, therefore, doing his duty for which he is paid salary.

Christians file new case

The six months succession wrangle is not about to end.

After the principal Judge Zeija dismissed the first case, the Christians have now sued all the 37 bishops including Kaziimba who constitutes the House of Bishops.

Kasana who was due to be enthroned as the fourth bishop of Luwero Anglican diocese, had his election revoked by the same House of Bishops, which sat at Kabalega Resort hotel in Hoima on June 28.

The House of Bishops acted on a petition by a clandestine Christian who accused the bishop-elect of having sired children outside marriage.

This prompted the pro-Kasana Christians who say he was not given a fair hearing, to drag Kaziimba to court, demanding the election nullification be revoked and Kasana be installed Luwero bishop.

Zeija, however, threw out the case saying Kaziimba was not the right person to sue since Kasana's election nullification was a collective decision by the 26 bishops.

Consequently, the aggrieved Christians filed a fresh case in the in which the High Court has issued summons to file a defence to Kaziimba and 36 bishops who constitute House of Bishops.

The latest plaint was filed by Moses Kakembo, Christopher Sajjabi Katende, Bemba Moses and Sight Sendowooza, all Christians of Luwero diocese.

According to the summons that the Luwero High Court assistant registrar Keneth Tumwebaze issued on December 20, the respondents, two of whom have since retired, have been ordered to file their defences within two weeks.