Bishop Onesimus Asiimwe.
The 6 th Bishop of North Kigezi Diocese
Bishop Onesimus Asiimwe was born in Mparo, Rukiga District on 24 April, 1965 to Lay Reader Samwiri and Samalie Meisho.
He is the last born of eleven born to Mr. and Mrs. Meisho, who played a significant role in his Christian faith formation.
Bishop Onesimus is married to Florence and the Lord has blessed them with three children: Daudi Mwesigwa Asiimwe, Majorie Kiconco Asiimwe (married to Aine Taremwa) and Ruth Ariho Asiimwe. He is a Pastor, gifted preacher, conference speaker and has a passion for discipling young people.
Onesimus was baptised by Rev. Abraham Zaribugire on 6 th June, 1965 and confirmed by the Rt. Rev. Festo Kivengyere on 13 th September, 1984. He received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour on 8 th January, 1988 after a night of heavy alcohol drinking.
Onesimus attended Kihanga Boys’ School for primary education, Kigezi High School and Makerere College School for the Ordinary and Advanced levels of education respectively. In 1988, he joined National Teachers College Kabale and graduated in 1990. That same year, he met Florence and they got married on 18 th September,1993.
Onesimus furthered his studies with a Bachelor of Education degree of Makerere University in 1995. He was a teacher and Head of the Fine Art Department at Kigezi High School and also served as an A’ Level Art Examiner with Uganda National Examinations Board until 2002 when he was graciously invited by Bishop Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo to be the Coordinator of the Provincial Healing, Deliverance, and Intercessory Prayer Ministry. In 2006, he was appointed the Chaplain to Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi. He is arguably the first Lay Chaplain to an Archbishop in the history of the Global Anglican Communion.
In 2010, he enrolled for a Master of Divinity Degree at Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology – Uganda Christian University. He was ordained a Deacon at St. Peter’s Cathedral Rugarama Kabale on 2 nd October, 2011 and priested on 7th October, 2012 by the Rt. Rev. George Katwesigye. He has also attended numerous capacity building training sessions locally, as well as internationally including Haggai Institute (Singapore), Billy Graham School of Evangelism, and Anglican Leadership Institute (South Carolina, USA). In 2017, he was appointed the Chaplain of St. Francis Chapel Makerere University, a position he held until his election as the 6 th Bishop of North Kigezi Diocese.