Uganda’s representation in the College of Cardinals remains with a single, towering figure: His Eminence Emmanuel Wamala.
Now 98, Cardinal Wamala stands as a revered statesman of faith, a symbol of both the Church’s legacy in Uganda and its enduring influence in East Africa.
Born on December 15, 1926, in Kamaggwa, Masaka Diocese, he was elevated to the cardinalate by Pope John Paul II on November 26, 1994.
He served as Archbishop of Kampala until his retirement in August 2006 and has since lived quietly, offering a spiritual presence rather than active leadership.
While Uganda awaits the possibility of new elevation to the red hat, its neighbours have seen a growing footprint in the global Catholic hierarchy.
Tanzania’s Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, now Archbishop Emeritus of Dar es Salaam, has long been a respected voice on the continent.
More recently, South Sudan’s Archbishop of Juba, Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, was elevated to the cardinalate by Pope Francis in 2023, marking a significant milestone for the world’s youngest nation.
Kenya is represented by John Njue, Archbishop Emeritus of Nairobi, who is 79 and just about cuts it unlike Pengo and Wamala who are over the age of 80 and no longer eligible to vote in a conclave.
As of April 2025, there are 18 African cardinals under the age of 80—making them eligible to vote in the next papal conclave following the death of Pope Francis.
They constitute about 13% of the 135 voting cardinals worldwide, a noticeable increase from 11 African electors in the 2013 conclave.
The figures reflect a broader demographic and spiritual shift: while church attendance and vocations decline in many parts of Europe, Africa’s Catholic population continues to grow, both in numbers and in influence.
Among the prominent African cardinal electors are Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga of the Central African Republic, known for his peace-building efforts amid conflict, and Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of Kinshasa in DR Congo, a leading voice on climate justice and Church reform.
Also on the list is Cardinal Antoine Kambanda of Kigali, Rwanda, and Cardinal Richard Kuuia Baawobr of Wa in Ghana—both seen as theologically grounded yet pastorally progressive.
Cardinals are personally selected by the pope and usually drawn from bishops who demonstrate doctrinal soundness, administrative skill, and spiritual leadership.
Though canon law allows any baptised Catholic male to be made a cardinal, the honour is typically reserved for those holding or having held senior ecclesiastical positions.
With the passing of Pope Francis, the eyes of the global Church now turn to the conclave, a sacred and secretive process in which these cardinals will gather under lock and key in the Sistine Chapel to elect his successor.
Africa’s role in that gathering has never been more pronounced, both in numbers and in the weight of moral authority.
For Uganda, the moment also brings renewed reflection: will the next pope look once more to the Pearl of Africa for cardinalate consideration?
Until then, Cardinal Wamala remains Uganda’s spiritual elder, a living link between the local Church and the universal one.
African Cardinal Electors Under 80
1. Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (born 1960) – Archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
2. Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga (born 1967) – Archbishop of Bangui, Central African Republic
3. Cardinal Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla (born 1964) – Archbishop of Juba, South Sudan
4. Cardinal Peter Ebere Okpaleke (born 1963) – Bishop of Ekwulobia, Nigeria
5. Cardinal Richard Kuuia Baawobr (born 1959) – Bishop of Wa, Ghana
6. Cardinal Antoine Kambanda (born 1958) – Archbishop of Kigali, Rwanda
7. Cardinal Jean Zerbo (born 1943) – Archbishop of Bamako, Mali
8. Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel (born 1948) – Archbishop of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
9. Cardinal Protase Rugambwa (born 1960) – Archbishop of Tabora, Tanzania
10. Cardinal Stephen Brislin (born 1956) – Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa
11. Cardinal Gervais Banshimiyubusa (born 1961) – Archbishop of Bujumbura, Burundi
12. Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo (born 1945) – Archbishop Emeritus of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
13. Cardinal Ignace Bessi Dogbo (born 1961) – Archbishop of Abidjan, Ivory Coast
14. Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco (born 1962) – Archbishop of Algiers, Algeria
15. Cardinal John Njue (born 1944) – Archbishop Emeritus of Nairobi, Kenya
16. Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya (born 1939) – Archbishop Emeritus of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
17. Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako (born 1941) – Archbishop Emeritus of Khartoum, Sudan
18. Cardinal Alexandre José Maria dos Santos (born 1924) – Archbishop Emeritus of Maputo, Mozambique