Written By | BK Mugizi
The late Rev. Mushabe was a resident of Nyakibeere in Kasaana Sub-county, Bushenyi District
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The Bishop of West Ankole Diocese, Rt. Rev. Johnson Twinomujuni, has paid glowing tribute to the late Rev. Bernard Mushabe, describing him as a gifted theologian, educator, and priest whose life was firmly anchored in faith, learning, and service. Rev. Mushabe, the Diocesan Education Secretary, died on Tuesday morning at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala after a period of illness. He had been unwell since undergoing an operation in December 2024. The late Rev. Mushabe was a resident of Nyakibeere in Kasaana Sub-county, Bushenyi District.
Speaking during a memorial service at Bweranyangi Cathedral today, Bishop Twinomujuni said the Church was grieving the loss of a devoted servant, but with hope rooted in faith.
“We grieve, yes, but we grieve as a people who know that death does not have the final word,” the Bishop said.
He described Rev. Mushabe as a champion of education who viewed learning as spiritual formation rather than mere academic achievement.
“Bernard understood education as formation before God, not just credentialing,” Twinomujuni said.
Before his appointment as Diocesan Education Secretary, Rev. Mushabe served as chaplain at Ntare School, one of Uganda’s leading secondary schools, where he was widely known for mentoring students and guiding staff.
The Bishop also praised the late Rev. Mushabe as a careful steward of language, fluent in both Runyankore and English, who used words not to impress but to clarify and build understanding.
“Bernard understood that words are never neutral; they either heal or harm, build or break,” he said. “He chose his words the way a pastor chooses his prayers, with care and responsibility.”
Rev. Mushabe trained as a theologian at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, USA—the same institution attended by Bishop Twinomujuni—a background the Bishop said gave him intellectual depth balanced with pastoral warmth.
“He believed doctrine exists for doxology,” Twinomujuni said.
“Orthodoxy without love, however precise, is only noise.”
The Bishop said Rev. Mushabe was a confident expositor of Scripture who allowed the biblical text to speak for itself. “From Bernard, many of us learned that clarity is not the enemy of depth,” he said.
Rev. Mushabe also played a key role as a translator, notably translating the Bishop’s consecration charge and the diocesan strategic plan into Runyankore.
“With Bernard, translation was ministry,” Twinomujuni said. “He built bridges with sentences.”
Despite his deep learning and command of language, the Bishop said Rev. Mushabe remained humble.
“He reminded us that big words are welcome, but only when they serve big truths,” he said.
Above all, Bishop Twinomujuni described Rev. Mushabe as a man firmly anchored in saving faith.
“Bernard knew that the sharpest mind must still kneel,” he said. “He trusted the Christ he preached, knowing that justification is by grace alone.”
As he concluded, the Bishop said the Church had lost a teacher, expositor, and theologian, but heaven had gained a faithful servant.
“The teacher has been called to fuller light. The expositor now hears the Word without mediation. The theologian now knows as he is known,” he said.
Torch Media Africa
