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The Kagadi Inter-Religious Council comprising mainly the Catholic, Anglican, Muslim and Pentecostal leaders and their followers in Bunyoro have conducted ecumenical prayers denouncing the proposed creation of Kapyemi healing city and alleged rampant corruption.

In a joint prayers held at St Mary’s Kagadi Catholic Parish on Wednesday, Monsignor Peter Kaberenge, the episcopal vicar of Kagadi Vicariate, castigated leaders who fuel tribal and religious divisions. 

According to him, Kagadi is developing rapidly and does not need counterproductive and backward leaders. 

He advised leaders to follow the visionary leadership of President Yoweri Museveni, who spearheads peace, security, democracy and prosperity.

"I want to reiterate President Museveni’s continuous call to Ugandans about the need to shun sectarianism based on tribal, religious, race, gender and ethnicity. He has always rejected this ungodly sentiment. Corruption is ungodly and the creation of Kapyemi healing city to benefit only one sect is sacrilegious and I strongly reject it," Kaberenge said.

Bunyoro Kitaara Anglican Diocese bishop Samuel Kahuma had earlier said he is opposed to the creation of Kapyemi healing city based on sectarian tendencies. 

He denounced the hypocrisy and corrupt tendencies of some political leaders who abandon their faith and kneel before cult leaders disguising themselves as belonging to other sects due to their political motives which he termed as Impersonation, blasphemous and sacrilegious. He called for forgiveness and repentance.

"How can you fail to kneel before the Lord in the church you belong to and you kneel before a human cult leader just because of your political ambitions? This is hypocrisy, impersonation and blasphemous. Public servants and some politicians should shun ungodly acts of corruption at the expense of the suffering young graduates whose parents invested heavily to educate their children," Kahuma said.

Ndibwami said he went to Kapyemi to meet faith of unity believers like any other leader. (New Vision/File Photo)

Background

The problem erupted when Kagadi district LC5 chairperson Yosia Ndibwami spearheaded a section of councillors to meet the administrator of Faith of Unity Omukwenda Akugizibwe Bisaka at Faith of Unity headquarters in Muhorro town council Kagadi district and discussed the issue of creation of Kapyemi healing city.

Pastor Magezi Ibrahim, the chairperson of the Kagadi inter-religious council, accused Yosia Ndibwami Bahunga of being behind the creation of Kapyemi healing city without consulting religious leaders, the council and Kagadi residents. 

He added that as an inter-religious council, they wrote a letter to the President through the Prime Minister over the same matter but the President is yet to respond. It is for this matter that they opted to kneel down and seek God's guidance.

In his preaching he said the prayers will help to transform strong-hearted people and they are requesting government intervention before the situation gets worse.

Kibaale District Khadi Sheik Isingoma Muhammad said: "I only urge Ndibwami to repent and seek guidance of God and stop undermining views of other stakeholders like religious leaders, elders, opinion leaders and community members over contentious issues in the district".

Ndibwami defends self

Ndibwami said he went to Kapyemi to meet faith of unity believers like any other leader. 

According to him, the healing city was a proposal and that there is no council or district executive resolution that was passed to create it. 

He clarified that he went to the local government ministry for consultations and nothing concrete has come out of it. On alleged rampant corruption, Ndibwami said the district service commission is an independent entity which cannot be influenced by the chairperson of the district.

"I'm being accused falsely by those religious leaders because I'm a Mufumbira and an Anglican, they want a Munyoro and a catholic leader," he said.

He added: "Issues of corruption within the district service commissions is nationwide. Every commission in a district is accused of corruption. As we talk now some heads of district service commission in some districts are in court over alleged corruption. Many of my close relatives were denied jobs by the district service commission and if I had influence all my relatives would be in fat positions," Ndibwami added. 

He, however, thanked Bishop Kahuma for lifting a ban on all Political leaders from attending any religious function. Bishop Kahuma lifted a ban on politicians on behalf of the Anglican Church to be allowed to attend religious functions saying nobody has powers to stop a Christian from attending church services.

Hundreds of believers from Muslim, Catholic, Anglican, Seventh Day Adventist and Born Again Churches were seen jointly gathered at St.Mary’s Kagadi vicariate in Kagadi town council, Kagadi district to pray and put the district leadership in the hands of God not to be swallowed by the faith of unity under Omukwenda Akugizibwe Bisaka son of late Owobusobozi Bisaka.