http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/676499
Father Musaala named homosexual
Tuesday, 31st March, 2009
Father Musaala: I am not gay and will never be gay
By Herbert Ssempogo, Jeff Lule and Matthias Mazinga
Self-confessed former homosexuals yesterday accused a renown Catholic priest, Fr. Anthony Musaala, of being a homosexual.
Paul Kagaba, who says he was a homosexual for eight years, told a press conference in Kampala that Musaala, a gospel music award-winner, regularly holds parties for gays at his residence in Gayaza near Kampala.
He was speaking at the press conference which was held at the anti-gay crusader, Pastor Martin Ssempa’s Redeemed Church at Makerere. In attendance was another self-confessed reformed homosexual, George ‘Georgina’ Oundo, and Pastor Solomon Male, an anti-gay activist.
Musaala, however, said the reports were intended to damage his image because he was a public figure. “Whatever they say, I am not gay and I will never be gay. I am only a minister of the Roman Catholic Church,” he said.
“Yes, I have a private house in Gayaza. It is a beautiful house with gardens and I host there different kinds of parties. Different groups of people, especially those from my church, Old Kampala, also come for prayer and retreats. Basically, I use my house for prayers and retreats,” said Musaala. “I don’t know why people say these are gay parties.” He said he had counselled and helped so many people since 1999 among them gays. “May be it is this pastoral care that people are considering.”
Musaala said it was unprofessional for anybody to make a public allegation without verification. “Many people make such accusations. This is neither the first nor the last.”
“Let them say what they want. I will challenge the accusations as they come.”
Musaala is renown for his moving sermons and gospel music. In 2007 he was the Pearl of Africa Music Award winner in the gospel category.
In his remarks, Kagaba also named an employee of a Kampala city hospital and a European residing on Entebbe road among the prominent gay promoters in the country.
A delegation of gay activists was expected in the country this month, Kagaba said, to hammer out a programme to finance their colleagues to get elected to Parliament in 2011.
Kagaba said as a homosexual he was a ‘woman’ and was lured into the practice in 2000 by a primary school head teacher in Masaka district.
Kagaba said he was introduced to Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo’s Integrity Uganda, an organisation which advocates gay rights. “I was given a job of publicity for the organisation.”
He said his parents saw him on television advocating gay rights and advised him to quit. “I realised I was insane in whatever I was doing; I gave up homosexuality in 2008,” Kagaba said.
The group said some human rights and faith-based charities were also involved the promotion of homosexuality.
Oundo reaffirmed the statement he made last week that he had recruited students. “But we are starting a campaign to move to those schools where we had recruited children and retract the lies,” Oundo said.
As they spoke, a group of self-confessed gays and lesbians, Jackline Kasha, Victor Mukasa and David Kisuule, addressed a press conference at the Metropole Hotel in Kampala.
They disowned Oundo and denied that their umbrella group, Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), was recruiting school children into the vice.
“We are responsible and law-abiding citizens. Homosexual Ugandans do not condone recruitment of people into homosexuality. We strongly and fiercely condemn it,” Jackline Kasha said reading a statement issued by a group called Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex.
“Sexual orientation is not changeable. We are homosexuals and cannot change. In the same way, we cannot change heterosexuals into homosexuals,” Kasha argued.
Mukasa said the Government should investigate Oundo’s claims and prosecute him since he had confessed to conscripting youngsters into the vice.
Although she admitted receiving funding from various organisations, Mukasa denied the money was for recruitment.
Father Musaala defended over homosexuality
Wednesday, 1st April, 2009
By Jude Kafuuma
Father Anthony Musaala, the Catholic priest implicated in homosexuality, has been defended by his parish priest who described him as a “holy man of God.”
Father Francis Ssemuddu, the head of St. Matia Mulumba parish in Old Kampala, said the accusations “were untrue”.
Ssemuddu said the church was clear about aberrant sexual practices and how to guide offenders get out of “the abnormal behaviour”.
Musaala, the charismatic preacher and gospel music award winner, was on Tuesday accused by a self-confessed former homosexual of eight years of promoting the illegal practice. Paul Kagaba said the priest had often held parties for the gays at his residence in Gayaza near Kampala.
But the parish priest said the house was not Musaala’s residence. “He only inherited his parents’ property, renovated the home and constructed a small house where he rests when he visits his relatives,” said Ssemuddu.
He added that the youth hold parties at Musaala’s home which has a bigger compound than that of the parish at Old Kampala. “I know the home. I have been there several times,” the priest said.
He said Musaala’s parents were buried there and that Musaala was taking care of the place. “There is nothing wrong with that,” he argued.
Musaala said the house is situated in Luteete, 7km on Gayaza Road, but he had never held gay parties there. He said the house has beautiful gardens for parties, retreats and other functions.
“I prepared this place for people who want to have retreats in a quiet environment but I have never held any gay parties,” said Musaala.
Asked to comment, Monsignor John Wynand Katende, the spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Kampala, said the newspaper had taken the right decision to get Musaala’s views before publishing the story. The New Vision broke the story yesterday.
Musaala argued that as a church minister, he had given spiritual guidance to homosexuals, lesbians and prostitutes since 1999, but he was not gay himself. “But ethically, I cannot name them,” he said.
Explaining why people take to homosexuality, the dancing priest, as he is sometimes called, blamed the desire for money and “inherent feelings that drive them”.
His involvement, he said, was limited to helping the gay abandon the practice some of whom “want to commit suicide”.
“I want to show them the true path to salvation,” he said. “This is a journey that requires someone to walk with as a guide.”
“These people are stigmatised and I am totally against this because they need our help,” said Musaala.
Quoting the Catholic Church rules, Musaala described homosexuality as a “disorder” and “a trial” for those involved. “They must be accepted with respect, compassion and responsibility,” he quoted the rules. “Every sign of their discrimination should be avoided.”
He said he was simply implementing the text “but the problem is that in doing so, the public understands me differently”.
At Parliament, MPs criticised the Government for allowing self-confessed homosexuals to address a press conference and promote their activities. The conference took place at the Metropole Hotel in Kampala on Tuesday.
Latif Sebaggala (DP) said the Government was tolerant because donors had threatened to cut funding if homosexuals were stopped. “We are worried about our children. If the Government is silent, it means it is silent approval,” he said.
Henry Banyenzaki (NRM) blamed poor enforcement of laws which he said had escalated homosexuality, rape, defilement and child sacrifice. In reply, Daudi Migereko, the Government chief whip, argued that anybody was free to hold a press conference without permission from the Government.
However, he said, by doing so, the gays had exposed themselves and the Government would go after them.“Homosexuality is illegal. The Minister of Ethics, Dr. Nsaba Buturo, has been clear on the matter. Those involved will face the long arm of the law,” he said.
Henry Kajura, the second deputy Prime Minister, said the Government would not compromise on moral and cultural values because of donor pressure.
“The Government will soon show its teeth,” he warned. “Our society abhors homosexuality.”
