Orombi: the archbishop who chose not to fight
Archbishop Orombi
IN SUMMARY
After an eight-year reign, ArchBishop Luke Orombi decided to retire. His term of leadership will be one that will be remembered for his stand on gay rights, his apology to the Baganda Christians as well as his silence on political issues.
Whether clergy should or shouldn’t be involved in politics, or at least criticise it, is a matter of varying opinions. But from a leadership point of view, it reflected a failure on Bishop Orombi’s part to rally his house into unity or agreement on an issue of doctrine, a feat that could have such effects as leaving the 10-million-plus flock in the Anglican church confused as to what is the right course of direction.
President Museveni’s influence is being watched closely as a successor is sought for Bishop Orombi. The president’s game of politics has been to keep all religious leaders close – and this is the case in Islam as well. President Museveni is known not to miss Bishop’s consecrations, even if they are hundreds of miles away from Kampala, taking the opportunity to have photo moments and donate a Sports Utility Vehicle to the new Bishop.
Yes, it still is a matter of opinion, but Bishop Orombi has been marked with accusations of being too apolitical, of being too close to the president or simply turning the other way when government goes wrong. And the fact that his immediate deputy offered the best chance to compare and contrast his views, will help further embolden this as typical of his reign.
Bishop Orombi’s reign is marked with the contradiction that as he managed to foster some form of unity in and out of the church at home, he was the exact opposite on the international scene, where he also played a key role.
Having found plans to construct a building in Kampala already formulated, Bishop Orombi leaves offices having seen the building rise out of the ground; a feat that shows the Anglican Church is not being left behind by the Catholic Church, which recently opened Mapeera House, just a few metres away.
While he served as the archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi oversaw a period during which we learned that it was possible to agree, even when disagreement was the weather condition of the day. And his shyness to politics will not do much to slur that.
jabimanyi@ug.nationmedia.com
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