Editorial
Hundreds of Catholic faithful gathered in Kasozi Deanery to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the episcopal ordination of the Bishop of Masaka Diocese, Rt. Rev. Serverus Jjumba. During the thanksgiving celebration, Bishop Jjumba called on Christians to take an active role in protecting the environment and upholding traditional Christian values amidst growing social and moral challenges.
He also encouraged the faithful to remain steadfast in prayer, describing it as a source of strength and protection in their daily lives and in the mission of the Church.
The celebration brought together clergy, religious, and lay faithful from across the diocese in thanksgiving for the Bishop’s seven years of pastoral leadership and service.
About Bishop Jjumba
Rt. Rev. Serverus Jjumba has led the Roman Catholic Diocese of Masaka in Uganda since 2019, following a career built almost entirely within that diocese’s institutions.
Born on 2 July 1962 at Katinnyondo, Kyannamukaaka in Uganda’s Masaka District, Jjumba is the son of the late Herman Jildo Ssebiranda and Leocadia Namazzi.
His early education took him through St. Augustine’s and St. Paul Primary School in Kitovu before he entered Bukalasa Minor Seminary, then St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary at Katigondo, and finally St. Mary’s National Major Seminary at Ggaba in Kampala. He later added a Master of Education degree and a Diploma in Religious Studies from Makerere University to his formation.
He was ordained a priest on 20 June 1992 , beginning a steady climb through diocesan administration: He seved as a curate in Mpambire Parish (1992–1993), teacher and bursar at Bukalasa Minor Seminary (1993–2000), and Diocesan Treasure. In 2014, he was named Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia a position that placed him at the administrative center of the diocese for five years before his elevation to bishop.
Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Masaka on 16 April 2019, succeeding Bishop John Baptist Kaggwa, who had reached the mandatory retirement age of 75. His consecration on 6 July 2019 drew thousands to the Sports Arena Ground in Masaka, with Vice President Edward Ssekandi representing President Museveni, alongside the Buganda Kingdom’s Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga and senior military and church figures.
Beyond diocesan leadership, Jjumba serves as president of Caritas Uganda, the Catholic Church’s official social development arm in the country , a role that extends his influence into humanitarian and development work nationally.
His tenure has not been without moments of public tension with the state. In December 2025, he raised alarm over the enforced disappearance of a diocesan priest, Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira, drawing a pointed historical parallel to the unresolved 1976 disappearance of a Masaka priest under Idi Amin’s regime, and calling the church to prayer and legal action.