On this day in 1961, the Anglican Church in Uganda became a self-governing province with the inauguration of the Province of the Church of Uganda, Ruanda-Urundi and Boga at Namirembe Hill.
The milestone followed decades of missionary expansion under the Diocese of Eastern Equatorial Africa, which had overseen Anglican work across a vast territory covering present-day Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and parts of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
As the church expanded, the region was gradually subdivided, leading to the creation of the Diocese of Uganda in 1897 under Alfred Robert Tucker. Tucker placed strong emphasis on training and ordaining indigenous clergy, laying the foundation for local leadership within the church.
By the mid-20th century, Anglican structures had grown significantly, with multiple dioceses established across Uganda and neighbouring territories.
In 1960, clergy from the Diocese of Uganda and Upper Nile agreed to form a unified province, bringing together eight dioceses from Uganda, Ruanda-Urundi and Boga in the Congo.
The move set the stage for full ecclesiastical independence. On April 16, 1961, Leslie Brown was consecrated as the first Archbishop of the new province during a ceremony led by Geoffrey Fisher.
The event drew church leaders from across Africa, alongside local political and traditional figures.
The inauguration established the Province of the Church of Uganda, Ruanda-Urundi and Boga as an autonomous Anglican body, transferring leadership to the region and marking a significant institutional shift just a year before Uganda attained independence in 1962.
