Girls who talk to ‘God’

Mar 13, 2003

Kirabo said: “God hasn't liked you.” This was the first day. I was disappointed with ‘God’, but this did not kill my enthusiasm

By Titus Kakembo

If you think the Imelda-Kula saga was a scandal for the church of God, wait till you hear what four teenage girls with budding breasts are doing to Christ's folk. I went on a journey to Seguku after a tip from a jilted lover, who accused one of the girls, who possess fortune-telling powers of pinching her man.

The weeping lover (name withheld), who has since quit Victory Celebration Ministries in Seguku had been told by one of the girls gifted with powers to talk to ‘God’, that her man was possessed with demons and that she should leave him. Surprisingly, no sooner had my source turned her back, than one of the sly girls welcomed her fiancé with open arms. In the community, the girls are known to have powers to chat with God. To those who doubt them, they have an answer for them. They are sinners who think the girls are possessed by demons. But is this true?

I approached the foursome with my brow creased with ‘problems’. By coincidence this was the time when I had fallen off a boda boda, and had a few scratches on my head. The girls, Grace Kobusingye and Hope Kirabo — from a family residing close to the church and Brenda and Sylvia Sekawanda, daughters of a senior apostle, Paul Wilson Sekawanda, have a following of believers who come all the way from Jinja and Mbale to have their fortunes foretold.

Sitting in the backyard of the Kobusingye home located few metres off the Kampala-Entebbe highway, the sisters began summoning ‘God’. The prayer session began as the sun went down at 7:00pm.

“We used to pray with Brenda and Sylvia but their mum (Nnalongo Lynah Wilson Sekawanda) thinks we have demons. She stopped them from coming here or us going to their home and church,” reveals Kobusingye regretfully. “Let us pray,” she commands. “Katonda wa Israel jangu otuyambe. Ebizibu bingi mu bulamu bwaffee,” (God of Israel come and help us. Our lives are full of trouble.)

A hand rests on my head. Another palm paws my shoulder. Anxious to hear ‘God’s’ voice, I could feel the beads of sweat matting my forehead. Kirabo cannot touch me with gummy palms because she cut short her jackfruit munching to pray for me. ‘God’ did not talk to me.

Kirabo said: “God hasn't liked you.” This was the first day. I was disappointed with ‘God’, but this did not kill my enthusiasm. I was determined to meet ‘God’. I trekked to the Kirabo’s home for four days, until Day Five arrived. ‘God’ decided to look unto me.

It was a ‘Good’ Friday and after two hours of concerted prayer, the Lord finally descended. In Kobusingye’s husky tone, with a lisp, ‘God’ spoke in fluent Luganda. A cool breeze swept in. The rev of a motor bike reminded me of the mayembe (spirits) startled me. I opened my eyes to have a peep at ‘God’, but it was a boda boda (motor bike taxi) passing by.

Then the tender-aged girls held onto me tighter. With voices possessed by another power they bark an English phrase spiced up with Luganda here and there. I’m standing on holy ground, but do not have to remove my shoes.

“Oh Lord, now that you have descended. Show us the way forward. We are troubled and we need your guidance God,” Kobusingye leads the prayer. Her budding breasts rise and fall with each breath she takes in. Then her clenched fist hits her left knee hard. A palm rests on my right shoulder blade.

“Your life is in trouble. You had a slight accident recently. There are work mates called John and James. They are the people who embezzled the money at your place of work. But you might be sacked for nothing by the authorities,” says ‘God’ through Kobusingye. I had lied to the girls that I had trouble with my bosses.

“‘God’,” I address Kobusingye, “there are more than two people with the same name at my workplace, can you give me their surnames?” I ask.

“That is your homework, I am a loving God. Do not hate them my son, but do unto them as you would want to be done unto,” is the response from ‘God’, who is a kid with pimples dotting her face.

“How much money was misappropriated Good ‘God’?” I address ‘my Lord, and master.’

“With time you will get to know the details,” is the response and the work place chapter is shut. Then my social life page is flipped. “But I see some good news in your path of life. You are going to marry a very beautiful girl who is presently in the US. Just stay faithful to her. By 2006 you will be wed and she will be pregnant with your baby boy.”

After a short break Kobusingye shivers like an epileptic. She grips my palm harder. So much strength in these teenagers, a thought crosses my mind. Scared, I peep through slits of my closed eyes, and see that she is sweating profusely as she slashes the air with her small palm. Her face is creased she is still in prayer.

Because of their fortune-telling, Kobusingye and Kirabo were bannished from the Victory Celebrations Ministries. Nnalongo, one of the directors of the church concurred that the rituals have cost the worship centre its credibility.

“It started as a night time prayer. We had Pastors Kenneth Kato, Ram Lukwago, Alice Lwanga and Martin Lukwago conducting prayers deep into the night,” reveals Nnalongo. “But after some time, it was taking a strange dimension. Families were falling apart because of demons, witchcraft or rivalry allegations in the prophecies."

“I used to believe in those strange powers. But when they started telling dad in UK to separate with mom because demons have got into her head, I withdrew,” says Edward, a brother to Brenda and Sylvia. “Now Pastor Kenneth Kato is in love with Brenda. The pastors have been banned from praying in the church. They now operate in individual homes in Ggaba and Makerere,” Edward says.

The pastors had told Nnalongo that ‘God’ had commanded her to provide them with cars so that they could carry out their pastoral work.

To streamline the Church, Pastor Sekawanda, chairman of the church, presently in UK, expelled Kenneth Kato, Ram Lukwaqo, Lwanga Miti and Martin Lukwago. The angry letter dated January 10, 2003 copied to the LCs, the police, pastor Kiwewesi of Kansanga Miracle Centre, accused the pastors of breaking up families on false prophecy and manipulating church members to give away their property.

Although banned from practising their rituals in the church, the pastors visit homes to peform their rituals.

I was saddened when I learnt that the girls are part of a racket of quack pastors. I must confess that I doubted that excitable bit about me getting a beautiful zungu (white) woman by the year 2006. But the bit about me getting a son, tickled me, since I have no son.

Hmm!

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