Busoga bishop decries scheming among clergy

JINJA - Busoga Diocese bishop Paul Samson Naimanhye says the Church is failing to get good clergies because of schemers.

“What I have realised in our calling today is that some clergies are merely scheming positions but not after their cardinal roles of preaching salvation and the word of God,” he remarked.

During the ordination of 14 deacons at Jinja city-based Christ’s Cathedral Bugembe, the main seat of the diocese on Sunday, November 24, 2024, Naimanhye accounted how a priest pleaded with him to at least retire at the position of a Canon.

“While joining this service before, we never had people pleading to retire with big positions of Canon or Diocesan Secretary, but today, we are having such individuals,” Naimanyhe lamented.

The ceremony was attended by two retired Mukono bishops: Paul Luzinda and James Ssebagala, who were accompanied by their wives Tezira and Florence, respectively.

Also in attendance was Busoga Kingdom Premier Dr Joseph Muvawala Nsekere and Dunstan Balaba, the Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Instead, Naimanhye urged the priests to first seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness as the rest would come along the way.

“I am not today’s preacher but allow me to say this, some priests are just calculative, this is reducing us and also affecting the church from getting quality and good priests,” he said.

Naimanhye said this was the first ordination where they were hosting two bishops in the diocese.

“Even if they retired, their presence shows that they are not tired and we are extremely happy as a diocese,” he said.

Meanwhile, Luzinda said Mukono Diocese had a link with one of the ordained deacons, the Rev. Timothy Batanda and Grace Kitimbo Egonda.

Batanda was previously serving in Buyende archdeaconry before being named chaplain of schools in Jinja city.

Luzinda hailed Christians for supporting their bishop who was in and out of hospital all the time.

As a result, Naimanhye said they deemed it necessary to hold the swearing-in of the deacons which was presided over by the diocesan chancellor, who also doubles as the diocesan lawyer, Emmanuel Bamwite.

Of the 14 deacons, five were female including Mariam Naigwe from Jinja archdeaconry, Beth Mwenze, Perepetwa Kyobula and Allen Lydia Tongo all from Kamuli archdeaconry while Jackline Sarah Kawuma was from Waitambogwe.

Meanwhile, the rest were Jeremiah Kawuta Mulindwa, Eryeza Kenbwa, John Mwandha, Eria Ntakimanyi, Henry Ssenono and Ronald Ikomo.

Before, the deacons underwent a one-week training at Busoga College Mwiri about their roles and expectations by the retired Rev. Can. Patrick Mutalwa, the former Busoga diocesan Secretary.

Mutalwa, who was the main preacher, cautioned the deacons against discrimination saying they needed to serve people equally.

The diocesan secretary the Rev. Can. Aggrey Kasadha (L) unveils Rev. Timothy Batanda after being ordained deacon at Christ's Cathedral on Sunday. (Credit: Jackie Nambogga)

Fight teenage pregnancies

Muvawala rebuked Church leaders for not playing their role of instilling family values in the communities, which has escalated cases of teenage pregnancies.

“You are not playing your roles, why are you ignoring and looking on when young girls as little as 10, 11 and 12 are getting pregnant?” he said.

Muvawala said he went to some places within the region and found 12-year-old girls pregnant.

According to him, the bishop’s voice was louder than his and therefore the bishop needs to champion the campaign to fight the vice.

“The church leadership has more powers and authority, let us switch to family values, speak to parents to desist from sending their children to trading centres after 6:00pm but all children need to be at home by that time,” he urged.

He implored the fathers and mothers' unions to join this fight saying the children largely belong to them and, therefore, they needed to play their roles as church leaders.

Dr Edward Kasuti, the president of the Fathers Union in Busoga Diocese, concurred with Muvawala saying parents have a responsibility to educate their children, teach them house chores and support them.

He noted that some girls were falling into the traps because their parents sent them to water sources and trading centres late at night from where they find irresponsible men who lure them with shillings 500 or 1,000 to buy mandazi in return for sex.

Kasuti said it was time for their unions to come up with measures geared at reaching out and sensitising parents on their roles to revive positive parenting at family levels.

“Getting into such a trap should not mean the end of their world, I know when they are there they see darkness which can turn into light, the future doesn’t end there,” he stressed.

He said their plan would involve psychosocial counselling to build hope in them to uplift their plights for life to continue.

He said in their campaign, they would ensure that young mothers are given second chance to either go back to school or are equipped with skills geared at uplifting their livelihoods.