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Anglican Church of Uganda Warned Against Fighting One Another
By Godfrey Olukya
VOL African Correspondent
www.virtueonline.org
April 4, 2023
The Uganda Deputy Inspector General of Police, Major General Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi has intervened in the fight between two Anglican Church groups in eastern Uganda.
This came after complaints that Christians belonging to the Church of Uganda in Kumi Diocese and those affiliated to the Bishops of the Reformed Anglican Church of Upper Nile Diocese have continued to attack each other in the past months. The dispute emerged after the Anglican House of Bishops refused to consecrate the Rev. Charles Okunya as Bishop for Kumi Diocese after he was elected in 2019.
Major General Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi, warned the Anglicans against inciting violence.
In a meeting organized by Major General Katsigazi, he said the violence exhibited by members of the two churches had reached unacceptable levels and had attracted the attention of all the security agencies in the country.
According to The Daily Monitor, he has ordered security personnel to arrest all perpetrators of violence including the bishops, if such activities continue.
"I will arrest anyone destabilising my people regardless of your position, the major warned. "Stop cutting my people," the Deputy IGP said, during a meeting attended by bishops, security personnel, religious leaders from the different denominations, and area leaders.
Anglicans have been divided by those who follow the Rev. Charles Okunya Oode of the Reformed Anglican Church and those who support Bishop Mike Esakan Okwii of the Church of Uganda, Kumi Diocese.
During the meeting, Bishop Esakan accused Kumi woman MP Christine Apolot, Bukedea County MP Bosco Ikojo and some Members of the opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) of fueling the dispute. However, FDC and the MPs have dismissed Bishop Esakan's allegations, calling them baseless.
"As FDC party, we are not a religious organisation, so we work with everybody regardless of his or her religious affiliation," Paul Omer, the FDC presidential envoy for Teso and Karamoja, said.
Bishop Okunya, who called for reconciliation, said: "These people have spent billions of money to fight me. I pray that one day they come to their senses and stop it so that sanity prevails." He accused the Province of the Church of Uganda of messing up the Kumi Diocese.
The Resident State Attorney for Kumi, Christine Kajja Byamigisha, said: "Let these churches be closed until sanity prevails." But the Deputy inspector General Police said for now, the churches can continue operating as they solve their issues and report to him in two months' time.
Joseph Orokode, an opinion leader, commended the Deputy IGP for intervening where the church has failed. Mr Simon Opolot, an Anglican in Kumi, urged Christians to unite and rebuild the house of God. "I implore Christians to get over any form of bitterness and slander against the Church."
The dispute emerged after the House of Bishops refused to consecrate the Rev. Okunya as bishop for Kumi Diocese after he was elected in 2019. The Rev. Okunya together with his followers, thereafter joined the Reformed Anglican Church where he was consecrated Bishop in 2022.
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