Open Letter to the Archbishop of Uganda
The Archbishop of Uganda Visited the North Kigezi Diocese Rukungiri on the 27th and 28th September, 2021 on a tour which is being seen as effort to forge a way for the process of looking for the new Bishop after the death of Bishop Benon Magezi.
Your Grace I wish to refer you to your speech while you attended the burial service at St Emmanuel Cathedral.
You Described The Late Bishop as A Honest person and went further to say during the House of Bishops meeting the fallen Bishop wherever there was a financial matter for discussion in the meeting he would not leave it until it was exhausited but that is not what was being done in his Diocese.
There are pertinent issues I would like His Grace to come clear about as you did with your predecessor His Grace Stanley Ntagali.
Adultery Should be condemned in church in whole but not selective.
The confusion and pressure in the Diocese is not about a leadership gap but a cover up for the Truth.
As you make efforts to visit the late Bishops wife put her in prayers for her heart to heal.
The level to which she was tormented by the late Bishops relationship with the the Diocesean Treasurer will not be put under the mat.
During the late Bishops short tenure there were issues which Your Grace should tackle for the church to remain united.
- The issue of the Tipper Truck which the Bishop bought purposely to hire to the church cathedral construction at rates determined by himself and the Treasurer.
- The selling of church land for only three hundred millions in the name of raising funds to build the cathedral and yet the Christians were contributing heavily and hence the funds were enough.
- The financial mismanagement at the diocese between the Head of laity who happens to be the father in-law to the Treasurer and the Bishop himself whom the wife looked at the Treasure as a co-wife.
- The Longest time the Head of laity has taken in office and his contribution in financial mismanagement with the Treasury team which is related to him
- The Project funds missing which ended up on the construction sites in Mbarara in a joint venture and the progress of the Late Bishops house construction financed by the contribution meant for the cathedral construction.
- The forced accountability which was recorded under duress while the Bishop was on his deathbed at the Hospital a matter which could have caused stress and finally his death.
- The Audit report which was done of mismanaged funds and assets should be made public and all individuals implicated brought to book.
- Where the Bishop slept after attending the graduation celemony of the Diocesean Treasurer
Your Grace for the Diocese to stablise you need to condemn acts of Adultery in the previous Bishop and Treasury Offices and set up new structure to choose the next Bishop to be.
Some of the names being fronted are part of the late Bishops chain of sin and fraud.
You brought back a bishop who retired honourably and you can not even come to support him when he is trying to stabilise and put right the issues in order for the Diocese to progress.
The Church land sod should be returned without any fear as christians can mobilise and refund this 300 millions
Some researchers people have gone a head to publish misleading and divisive story creating and impression that The Acting bishop of North Kigezi Diocese Retired Rt. Rev. Patrick Tugume Tusingwire is finding challenges in the most united diocese in Kigezi but which later divided after the death of their bishop. Before Magezi died,
Your Grace, Bishop Patrick Tugume is a man of good atanding record with vision. When the bishop Benon died some leaders wanted to grab money which the caretaker noticed immediatly and closed most diocese accounts and thats why there is crisis in the few who wanted to steal but not the entire church.
It is true this did not go well with some leaders in the church who influenced Christians to make a resistance. He has tried best to put things right including transferring some priests who were trying to slow down some church projects. He has gone ahead to bring Christians together and later organise elections but pressure mounted on him is too much to leave their church. He has also tried to consult Kampala group for technical guidance in order to be a good shepherd. Using his seniority in the church management he has been able to control sturbon winds.
It is not True that the diocese has developed two camps and one blaming North Kigezi Kampala group for taking over all authorities from Christians through the caretaker bishop which is causing more challenges.
The North Kigezi Kampala Archdeaconary is coordinated by Canon Jolly Babirukamu contributes 90 percent of project funds and has a right to support accountability and good governance values.
The Diocese auditing caused by the caretaker found a lot of money misused and some staff were implicated including the Diocesan Secretary and Ms Aijuka Peninah who was recently dismissed from the office.
Some priests who were implicated by the auditors report should be made public and directed or not be allowed to participate in the coming bishop elections.
What is bothering Christians is the Province and in particular the office of the Archbishop to keep silent on matters requiring attention but rushing the Bishop election road map which was laid down by the provincial Secretary in a letter which was only circulated on social media
Head of the laity Canon Sabiiti Mahirane who has been serving for the last 26 years in to the position should be retired in public interest as himself and daughter in-law are part of the problem.
What was the motive for the ailing Bishop Benon Magezi In a fading voice as he coughs with less energy, struggling for oxgyen and in a sad mood, he went through accountability, Land projects and church transactions. He talks about church unity, people who have not appreciated his services, future projects, development of Archdeaconaries and mother’s Union and policies. And talks about church finance, the Diocesan treasurer and blesses his church.
This was the mafia way as pressure for funds accountability was picking a high toll on the finance committee and who ever made that recording should be condemned as cause for Bishops death.
