Mityana born-again church closed
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/19/709500/Mityana
Monday, 8th February, 2010
By Luke Kagiri
THE Police and local leaders in Lweyo, Bulera sub-county in Mityana district have closed a born-again church following allegations that it was operating illegally.
The local leaders had earlier complained to the Police that people were being starved and the sick prevented from seeking medical help by the Miracle Healing Church.
The officer in charge of Namutamba Police post, Charles Wagabaza, and the local leaders closed the church on Tuesday.
About 10 people were found at the church, which is located on a two-acre piece of land. The pastor, George Rwalinda, was not at the premises.
A man identified as David Dayari said Rwalinda had gone to Busoga.
“Rwalinda left us with instructions to pray all the time. I lost all my riches but I am sure my prayers and his blessings will restore the riches,” Dayari said.
A woman, who claimed to be a teacher, said: “I have been with HIV/AIDS for over 20 years. I was on ARVs, but since I came here in October, I am getting well. I have now stopped taking the drugs.”
The Police, however, ordered the people to vacate the premises.
“We cannot leave these people here. They should go as we continue with investigations,” Wagabaza said.
“We have written to the pastor several times stopping him from running this church until he presents clear documents about it, but he refused to stop,” said the area secretary for security, Aloysius Katamba. He said most of the believers were suffering from AIDS.
He added that they usually fast for over three days, taking only water.
In the same village, a three-month-old baby was recovered from a house in a critical condition. He looked malnourished.
Residents said the baby’s mother, Joyce Mutezi, refused to take him to hospital, saying prayers would heal him.
The district Police commander, Ben Mubangizi, said they had launched investigations into the matter.
Probe healers, pastors – doctors
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/19/700073/Mityana
The New Vision, Wednesday, 4th November, 2009
By Abdulkarim SsengendoM
Private health practitioners have asked the health ministry to investigate traditional healers and pastors over what they called misleading the public by claiming that they can cure diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
This was during a one-day workshop organised by the Uganda Health Marketing Group at Lake View Hotel in Entebbe on Friday.
Dr. Yoramu Muhwezi, the owner of Hope clinics in Mbarara district said: “Traditional healers claim they check blood. I wonder why the Government is quiet on this,” he said.
The group also said pastors who claim to heal diseases with prayer should be arrested.
“They have discouraged people from taking ARVs and other drugs,” said Dr. Davis Beinganiza from Kyenjojo.
The workshop was attended by over 130 doctors from Gulu, Mbarara, Kasese, Bushenyi, Mityana, Isingiro, Ibanda, Kasese, Kyenjojo and Masaka districts.
Emily Katarikawe, the managing director of the Uganda Marketing Group, urged the Government to make policies to stop false claims by traditional healers and churches.
Dr. Grace Nambatya, the director of the Research Natural Chemotherapeutics Laboratory, told participants that Uganda had many policies that are not implemented, citing the polythene ban.
Nambatya said the Government was aware of churches and traditional healers misleading the public and said a legal frame work would be designed to stop them.
She said the health ministry did not have resources to facilitate the implementation of policies.
Nambatya called on the stakeholders to join in the fight against such characters and to sensitise the communities on the dangers of such claims.
Issues raised by private health practitioners included the need to provide cheep mental health drugs, discouraging advertisement by traditional healers and the provision of free ARVs to private organisations who can help to distribute them to hard-to-reach areas.
Pastor held over wetland in Mityana
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/19/708155/Mityana
Tuesday, 26th January, 2010
By Luke Kagiri
THE Police in Mityana district recently summoned and interrogated a born-again pastor over accusations of encroaching on a wetland.
Pastor Mike Kalembe of Kikonge Church was accused of farming, dumping marram and constructing a church, in Kamira Ntumbwe wetland, located 10 miles on the Mityana-Kampala highway.
The accusation was made in a report issued by the district environment officer, Yassin Bbira.
Bbira informed the police that he had written to the pastor stopping him from using the wetland but Kalembe ignored the order.
“We agreed that he would demolish the structures and destroy the garden immediately. His church would remain since it is not taking up much of the wetland,” Bbira added.
He explained that he turned to the Police because he had summoned Kalembe in vain.
Kalembe said he got permission to put up the church but admitted he was not allowed to cultivate in the wetland.
Police detectives went to the scene and ordered Kalembe to report to the Police station for further investigation.
“This should serve as a warning to all people encroaching on the wetlands. they should stop,” Bbira cautioned.
Bishops attacked over shrine
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/703534/Mityana
Monday, 7th December, 2009
Kagugube and an area resident guarding their shrine at Mutetema
Kagugube and an area resident guarding their shrine at Mutetema
By Luke Kagiri
Three Anglican bishops and five clergy members on Friday survived being lynched by a mob in Mityana district when they attempted to destroy a traditional shrine.
The Mityana bishop, Dr. Samuel Kaziimba, who was in the company of retired bishops, George Ssinabulya and Wilson Mutebi, had gone to Mutetema village in Bulera sub-county to destroy shrines.
The shrines reportedly belonged to Christians who had become born-again. Christians regard shrines as an aspect of witchcraft.
Others with the bishiops included Can. Ddungu, Can. Kalanzi, Rev. Michael Lubowa, and a lay Christian, Henry Kasozi, who claimed ownership of the shrine that was to be destroyed.
Information of the clergys’ visit had circulated among the residents on Thursday and they mobilised to block them.
“Family members and villagers were sleeping near the home, waiting for anybody who would come to torch the shrine,” one of the residents, who preferred anonymity, said.
On Friday morning, the residents staged roadblocks along the Mityana-Mutetema road to stop the bishops from traveling to the shrine.
However, the bishops, who were in a convoy of over four vehicles, used another route to reach the shrine.
When the bishops’ delegation arrived at the home, Godfrey Kagugube, one of the family members, immediately handed them a letter from the Police post, stopping them from accessing the home.
The bishops, realising that an angry crowd was gathering, drove off immediately.
Kagugube said Kasozi, who brought the religious leaders, is their uncle and had no control over the shrine.
“Our late father, Kopliano Lubega, built the shrine when our family was facing problems. The problems were all solved and we are living happily. Where did he get powers to burn our shrine?” Kagugube wondered.
Kasozi, described the incident as ‘unfortunate’.
“I am very happy because everybody has known that I am no longer concerned with their witchcraft,” he said.
Families banished over witchcraft
The New Vision, Wednesday, 7th October, 2009
By Luke Kagiri
Angry residents attacked two families in Mubende and Mityana district after accusing them of practicing witchcraft. A mob almost lynched the family of Yozefu Walakira on Sunday night at Bulyamagunju village in Myanzi sub-county.
A day earlier, in a separate incident, Betty Nakyobe was chased from Kityokya centre in Bulera sub-county. In the Sunday incident, Walakira’s property was destroyed, but security operatives came in time to rescue the family.
The sub-county internal security officer, Godfrey Kabiito, confirmed the attack. “Some goats, pigs and chicken were killed. The banana and coffee plantations were cut down and Walakira was assaulted,” he said.
The mob accused Walakira’s wife, Deziranta Namatovu, of terrorising the village with witchcraft, he explained.
“One of the complainants is Simon Bugembe, his neighbour, who claims that Namatovu bewitched her daughter.” The Police said the hunt for the perpetrators was still going on.
In the other incident, Nakyobe was chased from the trading centre after she was seen digging up the graveyard of George Nsamba resident.
“They arrested her and took her to the Police. The Police called the owner of the graveyard and Nakyobe agreed to repair the graves,” said Jane Namukasa, the defence secretary.
“When she was released to implement the agreement, the residents held a meeting and resolved to send her away from the village.”
Another area leader, Emma Sakos, said the residents attacked Nakyobe on Saturday morning before she left her house and ordered her to leave the village.
“The LC officials and the Police intervened and she was not assaulted. She immediately left the village. The property which she left behind was burnt,” Sakos said.
The acting district Police commander, Nathan Matovu, said the case was being investigated.
