The Anglican Church of Rwanda (EAR) will elect a new archbishop on September 11 to succeed Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, who is due to retire. Two bishops meet the requirements to contest for the position: Bishop Manasseh Gahima of Gahini Diocese and Bishop Assiel Musabyimana of Kigeme Diocese. ALSO READ: Anglican Church to elect new archbishop on September 11 To qualify, a candidate must be aged between 55 and 60 and must have served as a diocesan bishop for at least five years. Archbishops and bishops are ordinarily required to retire at 65, unless an exception is granted. The election is traditionally held in a private meeting, where bishops vote from among themselves before the winner is announced. The church’s House of Bishops, comprising bishops from its 13 dioceses, has held several meetings ahead of the election. The New Times tried to reach the two candidates, but they were not permitted to speak to the media before the election. Here is what is known about them. Bishop Assiel Musabyimana The Rt. Rev. Assiel Musabyimana is the third bishop and legal representative of Kigeme Diocese in the Anglican Church of Rwanda. He was elected by the House of Bishops on September 12, 2017, succeeding Bishop Augustin Mvunabandi, who had led the diocese since 2000. He was consecrated on January 14, 2018, at St John Cathedral Church in Nyamagabe. Born in 1969 in Kaduha Sector, Musenyi Cell, in Nyamagabe District, Musabyimana is from Bunyambiriri Archdeaconry, Nkomero Parish. He studied at Nkomero Primary School before joining College St Esprit Nyanza, formerly Normal Primaire Nyanza, for his secondary education. He later studied theology at the Protestant University of Rwanda, where he obtained a diploma, and at Uganda Christian University’s Bishop Barham University College, where he earned a Bachelor of Theology in Divinity. He also holds a Master of Theology and Development. Musabyimana is married to Valerie Nyirabihimana. He was ordained a priest on March 1, 1998, and a deacon on August 12, 2001, at Kigeme. Since joining the church’s leadership, he has held several positions, including chaplain to the bishop, chaplain of Kigeme Hospital and head of the Ecumenical Centre for Theological Research. Bishop Manasseh Gahima The Rt. Rev. Dr Manasseh Gahima is the second bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Gahini under the Anglican Church of Rwanda. Born on December 12, 1970, to the late Pheneas Gahima and Donatille Mukarutabana, Gahima grew up in Uganda after his family fled Rwanda as refugees. He attended Kasonga Primary School in Hoima before joining Kololo Secondary School and St Andrea Kahwa’s College for his ordinary and advanced secondary education. He later obtained a Diploma in Secondary Education from NTC Kakoba Campus of the then Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo (ITEK) in Uganda. He went on to study for a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Umutara Polytechnic, now part of the University of Rwanda. Gahima also holds a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Kabale University and a master’s degree in Theology from Wycliffe University. He later pursued a PhD in Theological Studies at the same university, graduating at a congregation held at its Kampala campus on July 14, 2018. Before taking up senior church leadership, Gahima worked in local government administration in Rwanda from 1996, serving in different capacities. He later held several administrative positions within Gahini Diocese. He was consecrated as assistant bishop of Gahini Diocese on May 28, 2017, before being enthroned as the diocese’s second bishop on May 26, 2019. Gahima is married to Rose Dusenge Gahima. Gahini Diocese was established in May 1997 after being carved out of the former Byumba and Kibungo dioceses. Its Anglican mission history dates back to 1925, when Christian missionaries established a mission station at Gahini.
