Bishop Wandabula was elected 27 May 2006 during a meeting of the Africa Central Conference of the U.M. Church, held on the campus of the Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe. He was elected on only the second ballot, receiving eighty-one percent of the vote of the delegates assembled. "This was a great and historic event for the church, and you could feel it," said Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, leader of the denomination's Zimbabwe episcopal area, and host Bishop for the meeting. "The delegates have shown maturity, and this Bishop has been given to us by God." Caroline Njuki, an executive with the U.M. Board of Global Ministries agreed, stating "The Holy Spirit was with the delegates. An election that was expected to take a day or a day and a half was over in a matter of hours."