By VOM News Team.
A section of Christians belonging to the Diocese of Muhabura in Kisoro district have criticized the process in which the nomination committee forwarded names of potential candidates to become the next Bishop following the announcement of early retirement by Rt. Rev. Cranmer Mugisha.
The aggrieved Christians, who claim to be over 1000 in number say, a planned meeting in the Mayor’s Gardens, Kisoro Municipality, organized for 16th of January 2023 was abruptly stopped following a decision by security in the district to deploy in the same grounds.
Days prior to the planned meeting, a letter mobilizing Christians was widely shared among various social media groups, urging people to turn up in large numbers to discuss the irregularities in the diocese.
A letter addressed to the Kisoro Resident District Commissioner Hajji Shafiq Sekandi, dated 13th January 2023, from a senior citizen in the district, whose identity remains concealed requested for a meeting in the Mayor’s Gardens.
Sekandi says, upon deeper reflection and Consultation on what the likely consequences of such a public meeting in the Mayor’s Gardens could have, he decided to reject the request.
Kisoro District Police Commander Richard Musisi says Police was deployed in the Mayor’s Gardens because the said group did not follow the correct procedure as is prescribed, under the Public Order Management Act.
The law states, among others that people seeking to have a public gathering need to request in writing to the Inspector General of Police 14 days prior to the day of the set event.
Musisi says the law also requires interested parties to reveal to the Police how many people intend to use the grounds so that adequate security is provided.
The meeting that was stopped in its tracks did not deter the angry Christians, who in a press briefing said their efforts to bring truth to the people will not be stopped.
Robert Hashakimana, one of the Christians, in a written statement said the issues affecting the leadership of the Diocese of Muhabura need to be addressed.
Yesterday’s events come on the backdrop of a letter widely circulated on social media dated 12th January 2023 directed to the Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kazimba Mugalu on the subject of irregularities and illegalities in the nomination process of the 3rd Bishop of the Diocese of Muhabura.
The letter states that, the nominated names including Rev. Eric Arinaitwe and Rev. Canon Godfrey Mbitse had been pre-proposed and endorsed before the nominations committee that sat on 10th January 2023.
The letter further claims that Bishop Cranmer Mugisha was invited through a phone call to join and guide the meeting which is a direct contravention of articles 3.7.6 and 3.7.8 of the Church of Uganda Provincial Canons 1997 revised 2018.
The aggrieved Christians in their letter also demand that the election of the bishop is halted until the process is put to order as well as excluding Rt. Rev. Cranmer Mugisha from the entire Episcopal Succession process at the diocese and at the provincial level.
The office of the Diocesan Secretary in the diocese of Muhabura said it was not aware of anything going on outside the diocese because all work is going on normally.
John Tereraho, Provincial Head of Laity, during a phone interview said it is unfortunate that Christians can choose to peddle misinformation and rumors to the public because the activities conducted by the nomination committee remain confidential.
He further said the selection of Bishops will not only be for Muhabura diocese but of five others including Mukono, North Kigezi, Luweero and Kotido
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