Bishop Charles Martin Wamika of Uganda’s Jinja Diocese dies at 71

Jinga, Uganda – The Episcopal Conference of Uganda has announced the death of Rt. Rev. Charles Martin Wamika, Bishop of Jinja Diocese. He passed away on Thursday afternoon at Lubaga Hospital, Kampala.

“It is with sadness that, on behalf of the Diocese of Jinja, we announce the death of Rt. Rev. Charles Martin Wamika. He passed on this afternoon at Lubaga Hospital. More details to follow. We pray for a peaceful repose of his soul,” the Conference said in a statement shared on its official Facebook page.

Born on August 12, 1953, in Namengo near Budaka Parish in the Archdiocese of Tororo, Bishop Wamika was ordained a priest on September 22, 1979. He studied philosophy at St. Peter’s Claver College and St. Pius X Minor Seminary, Nagongera, and theology at Uganda Martyrs National Major Seminary, Alokolum, and Ggaba National Major Seminary, Kampala.

He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Tororo on October 18, 1993, and consecrated on February 19, 1994. After 16 years of service, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of Jinja on March 2, 2010, succeeding the late Bishop Joseph Bernard Louis Willigers, MHM. Bishop Wamika was the first Ugandan and African to head the Diocese of Jinja, which had been under the pastoral care of the Mill Hill Missionaries since the late 19th century.

The late Bishop led several initiatives to expand education, healthcare, and community development in eastern Uganda. During the 2023 Uganda Martyrs’ Day celebrations, he called on Catholics to emulate the faith and courage of the martyrs and to remain steadfast in their Christian values.

The Diocese of Jinja in a statement, has described his passing as “a profound loss to the Church and the wider community.”