Rt. Rev. Sanctus Lino Wanok, Bishop of Lira Diocese, has been elected as the new Chairperson of the Uganda Episcopal Conference following a plenary assembly of Catholic bishops.
The leadership change was confirmed on November 13, 2026, marking a transition in the governance of the Catholic Church across the country’s dioceses. Bishop Wanok succeeds Rt. Rev. Joseph Antony Zziwa, Bishop of Kiyinda-Mityana Diocese, who has led the conference since 2018, Watchdog Uganda reported.
Alongside the new chairperson, Most Rev. Lambert Bainomugisha, Archbishop of Mbarara, was elected Vice Chairperson. The newly chosen executive will serve a four-year term guiding the pastoral, social, and administrative operations of the Church.
Bishop Wanok brings prior executive experience to the role, having served as the conference’s Vice Chairperson starting in November 2022. He previously chaired the Uganda Episcopal Conference Education Commission and represented the Ugandan Church at international Vatican gatherings, including the Synod of Bishops.
Born on April 7, 1957, in Ukuru Pamach Village, Zombo District, Wanok was ordained to the priesthood in 1986. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of Nebbi in 2011 before Pope Francis transferred him to Lira Diocese in 2018, where he was installed as the fourth Bishop of Lira on February 9, 2019.
His predecessor, Bishop Zziwa, held the chairmanship through two terms, including a re-election in 2022, alongside serving as Chairperson of the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda. Archbishop Bainomugisha steps into the vice-chairmanship after leading the Archdiocese of Mbarara since 2020, following fifteen years as auxiliary bishop of the same archdiocese.
Headquartered at the Uganda Catholic Secretariat in Nsambya, Kampala, the conference was founded in 1960 as the official assembly of the Catholic hierarchy. The organization coordinates pastoral work, social service delivery, and institutional engagement with national development matters.
The transition occurs as the Catholic hierarchy continues addressing regional concerns regarding peace, education, social justice, and interfaith cooperation. Further announcements detailing the full executive board are expected from the secretariat.
