Story by Jimmy Siyasa, Photos by Andrew Bugembe
The Lord God who freely gives his grace has given an Anglican diocese in Uganda a new bishop. Grace Lubaale was on December 14 consecrated and enthroned as the fifth bishop of Busoga diocese in Eastern Uganda..
Lubaale is an Associate Professor of Development Studies with 25 years of distinguished service at Kyambogo University in Uganda. The 47-year-old specialist in education, gender, human rights, ethics, development planning and policy has extensive experience across higher education, civil society and faith-based development.
The Rt. Rev. Assoc. Prof. Grace Lubaale, the new Bishop of Busoga Diocese, with his wife, Clare
He succeeds Paul Moses Samson Naimanhye, who retired in October 2025, after clocking 65 years – the age at which bishops in the Anglican Church retire in Uganda.
“I commit to showing mercy and compassion for the poor, strangers, the helpless, serving faithfully in the spirit of Christ,” Lubaale pledged on December 14 during his consecration service that was led by the Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda. Lubaale is an ordained priest in the Anglican Church in Uganda and has been serving as a Canon of Education and Training at the All Saints Cathedral in Kampala.
“Following the examples of Christ and his apostles, I present to you Dr. Lubaale,” Kaziimba told the congregation at Bugembe playground in Jinja, eastern Uganda. “We trust that the holy spirit has called him to lead faithfully.”
Among those in the congregation was a delegation from Uganda Christian University (UCU) that was led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi. Lubaale is a distinguished alumnus of UCU.
Education and professional background
In October 2024, Lubaale was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor of Development Studies at Kyambogo University, where he has served as Head of the Department of Teacher Education and Development Studies since 2013. He has been a member of the Kyambogo University Governing Council since 2020 and the Chairperson of the Education Board of the Anglican Diocese of Kampala.
Lubaale holds a PhD in Development Studies from Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) and two master’s degrees – in theology from UCU and in development studies from UMU.
His professional journey began in 2001 as a Teaching Assistant at Kyambogo University. Seven years later, he was promoted to the position of Assistant Lecturer, and then Lecturer in 2010. In April 2017, Lubaale was promoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer of Professional Education Studies.
In his quarter a century of service at Kyambogo University, Lubaale’s resume indicates that he has supervised seven PhD students and 29 master’s dissertations.
Ministerial journey
“I accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour in December 1994, and my guiding scripture is Galatians 6:9,” says Lubaale, who refers to this as the turning point in his life. Galatians 6:9 encourages persistence in good deeds, stating: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Lubaale was drawn into ministry by his desire to preach the word of God. For 12 years, from 1996 to 2008, he served as a lay chaplain at various stations. A lay chaplain is a non-ordained person who provides spiritual and pastoral care within a community, such as a school or a hospital. They also support by leading prayer service, sometimes guiding rites of passage, such as funerals, as well as bridging gaps where the clergy are unavailable.
One of such stations of service was in a school in eastern Uganda: Lubaale was appointed Assistant Chaplain at Kiira College Butiki, by the Rev. Henry Naluswa, the Chaplain at the time. Naluswa made the appointment because he was preparing to leave the work station for further studies.
From 2008 to 2011, Lubaale served as a priest at St. Stephen’s Kisugu, Church of Uganda in Kampala and as the associate chaplain at St. Luke Mulago Hospital Chapel in Kampala from 2011 to 2019. From 2020, Lubaale was serving as a priest at the Church of the Resurrection, Bugolobi Church of Uganda in Kampala.
Family
Lubaale is married to Clare and the couple has four children: Abigail Gonza, Nathan Suubi, Joanna Kisakye and Cranmer Kiriza.
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