By Alex Gahima
The Bible Society of Uganda in Kisoro district today morning paid a courtesy visit to Kisoro Police Station and Kisoro Government Prison in Kisoro Municipality to deliver free English bibles to the officers on duty, ahead of the official launch of Rufumbira New Testament Bible in September 2023.
Phionah Bahungirehe, team leader of translation team said the 10 ‘gift English Bibles’ to Police Officers and 5 to Prisons Officers is part of a pre- launch activity for the Rufumbira bible.
Bahungirehe says law enforcement, especially the Police and Prisons are often engaged to provide security for lives and property at church premises, but they are not invited to partake in the word of God.
She noted that the bibles can be of great importance to them while at their different posts of duty.
The officers who choose to read their bibles will benefit from spiritual insight.
“With the lockups at Police and at the Government Prison, several people in need of spiritual awakening and this creates a good opportunity for Police officers and Prison warders to become good conduits in spreading the word of God”, Bahungirehe said.
Pius Asiimwe, the Officer-in-Charge of Kisoro Police commended the Bible Society of Uganda for considering the Police force to benefit from the bibles.
Asiimwe quoted “Blessed Are the Peacemakers, for They Will Be Called Children of God” (Matt 5:9) adding that the Police force is determined to ensure that peace in the country prevails.
Officer- in – Charge of Kisoro Government Prison, Joseph Odeke said the bibles will be good for the Prison warders who spend a lot of time with the prisoners.
Rufumbira Bible Launch
The Bible Society of Uganda is planning to launch the Rufumbira New Testament Bible on the 21st of September 2023 in the Mayor’s Gardens.
The translation team in Kisoro successfully managed to complete translation of the New Testament in 2018.
Bahungirehe says printing of the bible was done in China and Korea, requiring nearly a whole year to get them back to Uganda.
“The Rufumbira bible will be a significant addition to the Kisoro community because it will encompass the language (Rufumbira and not Kinyarwanda).
The Rufumbira bible will also ensure copyright and empower the identity of Bafumbira who are often mistaken as Banyarwanda.
The 1957 versions of Biblia Yera and Bibiliya Ntagatifi were popular versions among the Christians from Kisoro, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo because they included all languages and unique dialects of the people in the region.
After nearly 50 years, the two versions are no longer being printed and are hard to find.
The more recent versions including Bibiliya Yera and Bililiya Ijambo do not meet the required standard for Kisoro communities because they have been translated literally making it very hard for majority of the Bafumbira to understand.
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