Bishop wants to meet Museveni over Rwenzururu widows, orphans

Bishop Francis Aquirinus Kibira of the Kasese Catholic Diocese has said he plans to meet President Yoweri Museveni to lobby support for the widows and orphans of the deadly November 2016 clashes in the district.

Addressing hundreds of a Christians, who had congregation at the Kasese Cathedral Parish Church on Christmas, Bishop Kibira revealed that there were about 50 widows and close to 300 orphans in Busongora North constituency alone.

"In one place there, because of what happened there, they have over 50 widows with more than 280 orphans," he said, adding that these children who may not be able to study and even eat a kilo of meat over the festive season.

"That thing has disturbed me so much," he said, appealing to well-wishers to donate anything, including money that might help ease their plight.

"And I am going to give this message to the President because it is a very serious matter," bishop Kibira said.

He noted that since the tragic incident, little had been done to address their plight.

He said that the president`s attention as key in the matter described the widows and orphans, most of them from Busongora north as a suffering category of people in Kasese district whose situation needs to be looked into.

The Bishop pledged to open an account in his office specifically to collect funds to assist those he called the "suffering flock of God."

He asked the local leaders to compile a list of names of widows and their contacts.

The clashes

On November 26, security forces attacked the Rwenzururu Palace following various raids and killing of police officers by people who were suspected to be royal guards.

The king, Mumbere and 201 of his subjects, most of them men, including his former premier, Johnson Kitsumbire, were arrested on November 26.

Mumbere and his co-accused subjects, including 8 juveniles, are facing various charges including treason, murder, attempted murder and aggravated robbery in the Jinja Chief Magistrate's court.

Move welcome

The Buhuhira LC3 chairman, Justus Bwambale Asaba, welcomed the Bishop`s plan as a blessing to his community.

"The affected are in dire need of help. They are finding it hard to sustain themselves and many of their children have dropped out of school after their fathers were killed and other arrested," Asaba said.

Christmas mistaken

Earlier in his sermon, Bishop Kibira expressed concern that many Christians were turning Xmas into mere ceremonies instead of using the holy day to promote peace and reconciliation and to fight against jealous and domestic violence.

The Bishop, who is also locally known as Kambale, a Kikonzo family name given to second-born males, condemned alcoholism, drug abuse and laziness, saying the tow vices were partly responsible for poverty among the communities.  

Condemns early marriages, marrying unemployed

 Describing early marriages as "sinful before God," Kibira also cautioned men against marrying unemployed women saying it fuels the dependence syndrome.

Over seven million shillings was collected for the new Cathedral construction during first and second masses.