Police are investigating the circumstances under which a Headteacher at St. Clement Ntuusi Primary School, allegedly interfered with the search for a new Bishop of West Buganda Diocese.
Cossy Nakagwa was arrested on Monday evening while chairing a School Management Committee meeting and is now in custody for her role in a controversial petition that led to the removal of Reverend Canon Patrick Ssimbwa from the bishopric race.
The scandal unfolded in November 2024, when the Church of Uganda launched its search for a new bishop to replace the retiring Right Reverend Henry Katumba Tamale.
Trouble started when a petition, supposedly filed by Naume Namakula, accused Ssimbwa of fathering a child in an extramarital affair, which allegedly led to the child’s death in 2016. Despite the petitioner never appearing before any committee, the claims created a storm, ultimately leading to Ssimbwa’s exclusion.
However, after a police investigation, it was discovered that the petition had been secretly authored by Nakagwa, who used the alias Naume Namakula.
Police were able to track her down after analyzing her communication with a suspect previously arrested for blackmailing Ssimbwa. Nakagwa attempted to go into hiding, but authorities found her and arrested her.
Nakagwa is currently being held at Sembabule Central Police Station, where she is expected to assist in identifying other individuals believed to be involved in the plot. Her arrest comes just days after the House of Bishops declared Reverend Canon Gaster Nsereko as the new Bishop-elect for West Buganda Diocese.