Birth of Christ came with hope for Luzira inmates

By Petride Mudoola

Christmas comes with good news and many Christians use it to reflect on their past and lay strategies to live a better future. The way this happens is miraculous because both the happily living and those who are burdened perceive Christ as the saviors.

Last Thursday as the country was busy preparing for Christmas, a chain of inmates at Luzira Upper Prison saw light and decided to abandon their tainted past. They sought the sacraments of baptism and confirmation.

 A total of 15 convicts were baptized and 49 confirmed. Among those who received confirmation were five inmates on death row. But amidst the challenge of being in jail the inmates wore beaming faces and sung praises with vigor, like they were possessed by the Holy Spirit.

They gave several testimonies on why they had decided to receive Christ. The theme of their messages was life without him was like being beautiful but badly behaved.

Robert Ojara a 35 year old death row inmate said that he wanted to get baptized because he had learnt a lot while in jail and feared that he wouldn’t get a chance even if released to receive the sacrament since there were no worship centers on his village in northern Uganda.

 “By the time I was jailed I had started understanding the importance of God, but the Lord’s Resistance Army war had ravaged my village and there was no chance for me to get baptized. This is the chance I have to embrace Christ,” Ojara said. The other inmate, Simon Kiyemba 18, on remand over allegations of defilement said that he lost his parents before he was baptized and saw this as an opportunity to embrace Christ.

“There is nothing that is as sweet as living in Christ. All the challenges we have are nothing with Christ,” Kiyemba said.

A death row inmate kisses the bishop's ring. This was during a visit by  the Bishop of Masaka diocess John Baptist Kagwa at the condemn section of Luzira Upper Prison on Thursday.  Photo by Petride Mudoola    

Like anyone preparing for the birth of Christ, the inmates were smartly dressed in their yellow uniforms and white for convicts on death row donned rubber shoes locally known as Nigina. Their Church which also doubles as carpentry was well decorated and its walls were shining, like a modern hotel room.

There are over 600 Catholic inmates in Upper Prison majority of whom attended the baptism and confirmation ceremony that was graced by the Bishop of Masaka Dioceess John Baptist Kagwa. During the function, the inmates sat quietly on their mats and chairs as the prelate fed them with the gospel.

 The inmate’s choir gave the function more life with the hymns of praise. The Chairperson of Roman Catholic Church Luzira Upper Prison also an inmate, Paul Kikube made several representations on behalf of his colleagues.

 Bishop Kagwa’s message was centered on instilling discipline, love, perseverance and hope among the inmates. He preached on the need to manage anger and strong emotions which he said have led many youth into jail.  “You should avoid taking decisions when you are annoyed. Some of you have been jailed because of that. You must be sober when reacting on anything that has angered you.”  The bishop appealed to the congregation to remain devoted to their faith noting that only Christ has solutions to their problems.

“There is no permanent situation and with prayers things can change. Some of you were sentenced to death but who knows God can reverse your sentence to light ones.”

The Bishop commended the Prison Authority for giving prisoners freedom of worship.  “I did not expect to find such an organized worshiping environment within the Prison. I was hoping to meet you dressed in tattered and dirty clothes; it’s encouraging to find you appearing healthy, well kempt and wearing very clean uniforms.”

With the coming of Christ signifying the end of suffering for mankind, the inmates who received the sacraments left with great hope that their burdens had been taken away from them.