AMECEA PLENARY: At End of Plenary, AMECEA Re-elects Chairman, Secretary General and Departmental Heads
Newly appointed AMECEA Board Members
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
As the week-long plenary assembly of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania comes to an end on Sunday, July 17, Members of the association have re-elected the previous office bearers to continue guiding the region to realize its mission of evangelization through inspiring and empowering God’s family.
Announcing the new office bearers to thousands of congregants including the bishops and delegates during the 20th plenary closing Mass, Archbishop Jude Thaddaeus Ruwa’ichi of Dar es Salaam Archdiocese revealed that Bishop Charles Sampa Kasonde of Zambia’s Solwezi diocese who has been the Chairman of AMECEA since 2018 will continue in the same position.
At the same time AMECEA Secretariat will be headed by Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Makunde from Mbeya Archdiocese, Tanzania, as the Secretary General while Fr. Emmanuel Chimombo heads the Pastoral department as the Coordinator, Fr. Andrew Kaufa remains the Social Communications Coordinator and Fr. Paul Mungathia Igweta the coordinator for the Promotion of Integral Human Development.
The plenary assembly further appointed members of the AMECEA executive board that will include Bishop Thomas Osman of Barentu, Eritrea, Bishop Joseph Anthony Zziwa of Kiyinda-Mityana, Uganda, Archbishop Michael Didi Adgum Mangoria of Khartoum Sudan, Bishops Rogath Kimaryo of Same, Tanzania, Archbishop George Tambala of Lilongwe, Malawi, Archbishop Alick Banda of Lusaka, Zambia, Bishop Noel Seyoum Fransua, Vicar Apostolic of Hossana Vicariate Ethiopia and Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba of Kisumu, Kenya who will work together with the Chairman and Secretary General of AMECEA.
Concerning AMECEA Institutions, Rev. Fr. Prof. Stephen Mbugua Ngari remains the Vice Chancellor for the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), while the new Council Chairman for the University is Bishop Paul Kariuki Njiru of Kenya’s Embu diocese.
Members of the CUEA Council include Bishop Edward Kussala Hiiboro of Tombura- Yambio Diocese, South Sudan, Bishop Fikremariam Hagos Tsalim of Segheneity, Eritrea, Bishop Mark Kadima of Bungoma diocese, Kenya, Bishops Robert Muhiirwa of Fort Portal, Uganda, Bishops Benardin Francis Mfumbusa of Kondoa, Tanzania, Bishop Peter Adrian Chifukwa of Dedza, Malawi, Bishop Benjamin S. Phiri of Ndola diocese, Zambia, Bishops Markos Gebremedhin Vicar Apostolic of Jimma-Bonga, Ethiopia and Ex-officio member Fr. Anthony Makunde.
In his announcement just after the Sunday Eucharistic celebration, the Archbishop of Dar es Salaam noted that Very Rev. Peter Moudie Zingari from the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambia, South Sudan remains the Rector of Blessed Bakanja AMECEA College while members of the seminary commission include Archbishop Phillip Anyolo of Nairobi, Kenya, Bishop Joseph Oliach Eciru of Soroti, Uganda and Bishop Stephen Nyodho Malakal, South Sudan.
Members of the plenary that began from Sunday, July 10, under the theme environmental impact on integral human development that was inspired by Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ disclosed that AMECEA Board of Trustees shall comprise of Archbishop Anthony Muheria from Kenya’s Nyeri Archdiocese as the Chairman, his Eminence Berhaneyeus Cardinal Souraphiel of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Archbishop Phillip Anyolo of Nairobi, Kenya and Archbishop Gervas Nyaisonga of Mbeya, Tanzania.
