Onesimus Asiimwe

Onesimus Asiimwe (born April 24, 1965) is a Ugandan educator and Anglican bishop.

Onesimus Asiimwe (born April 24, 1965) is a Ugandan educator and Anglican bishop. He has served as the 6th Bishop of the North Kigezi Diocese in the Church of Uganda since his consecration on March 12, 2023. He succeeded Bishop Benon Magezi, who died in June 2021.

Early life and education

Asiimwe was born in Mparo, Rukiga District (then part of Kigezi), Uganda, on April 24, 1965. He was the youngest of eleven children born to Lay Reader Samwiri and Samalie, who influenced his Christian upbringing. He was baptized on June 6, 1965, and confirmed on September 13, 1984.

Asiimwe attended Kihanga Boys' School for primary education (1973–1979). He completed his O-Levels at Kigezi High School and A-Levels at Makerere College School. In 1988, he enrolled at National Teachers' College, Kabale, graduating in 1990 with a Diploma in Education. He then earned a Bachelor of Education degree from Makerere University in 1995. Later, in 2010, he pursued theological studies, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree from Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology at Uganda Christian University.

Career

Education

Following his graduation from Makerere University, Asiimwe worked as a teacher at Kigezi High School, eventually becoming head of the Fine Art department. From the 1990s until 2002, he served as an Advanced Level Art examiner for the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), a period coinciding with significant education reforms in Uganda, including the introduction of Universal Primary Education in 1997.

Ordained Ministry

Onesimus Asiimwe was ordained as a deacon on October 2, 2011., at St. Peter's Cathedral, Rugarama Kabale, and as a priest on October 7, 2012, by Bishop George Katwesigye. His ministry included participation in training programs internationally, including at Haggai Institute (Singapore), Billy Graham School of Evangelism, and Anglican Leadership Institute (South Carolina, USA)

He served as the Provincial Youth and Students Coordinator, where he helped develop the Provincial Annual Youth and Students Convention (PAYSCO) program. In 2006, he was appointed Chaplain to Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, a role noted as potentially the first time a layperson held such a position for an Archbishop within the Global Anglican Communion at that time. From 2017 until early 2023, he served as Chaplain of St. Francis Chapel at Makerere University.

Episcopacy

On January 18, 2023, the House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda elected Asiimwe as Bishop of North Kigezi Diocese. He was consecrated on March 12, 2023, at Emmanuel Cathedral Kinyasano by Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu. During the ceremony, Archbishop Emeritus Henry Luke Orombi highlighted Asiimwe's passion for evangelism. Asiimwe has publicly expressed views aligned with conservative biblical interpretations regarding sexuality.

Personal life

Asiimwe married Florence on September 13, 1993. They have three children: Daudi Mwesigwa Asiimwe, Majorie Kiconco Asiimwe (married to Aine Taremwa), and Ruth Ariho Asiimwe. A significant personal event, described in sourced accounts, was a spiritual transformation in January 1988, following which he abandoned alcohol and cigarette use.