Ntagali ready to handle court issue 'accordingly'

The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda Stanley Ntagali has said that he is ready to defend himself in a case reported against him in the courts of law.

"I am a law-abiding citizen and I will handle the court issue accordingly," he told a press conference.

Ntagali was dragged to court by a group of Christians who are members of the synod from the West Ankole Diocese accusing him of usurping the episcopal jurisdiction for the diocese.

They contend that he unlawfully appointed a bishop's commissary for the diocese consisting of eight members upon the retirement of the Rev Yona Katoneene who was the Bishop of West Ankole Diocese.

But in his response, Ntagali said that whatever he did, he followed the constitution of the church which empowers him to oversee any diocese which is vacant.

"I am the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, I don't work alone. I work with the House of Bishops and the canons following the constitution which mandates the archbishop to oversee a diocese which is vacant," he told reporters.

"In this case, West Ankole diocesan synod put in place an Electoral College which will nominate two names and bring them to me and I will convene the House of Bishops and will select one Bishop whom I will consecrate in West Ankole to be the next Bishop.

"That group that is challenging me that I don't have moral authority over the diocese have always been within the church, but they should know that I was enthroned as the Archbishop of Church of Uganda to oversee the entire church of Uganda including the West Ankole Diocese," said Ntagali.