The misogyny of Uganda’s Police force: Ethics minister, US decry Ingrid brutal arrest

 

FIRST READ:

Ugandan women strip to protest assault

http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/ugandan-women-strip-protest-assault-0022184

USA Double standards :Seattle Police Pepper-Spray Pastor

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2011/11/usa-double-standards-seattle-police.html

How Quickly Will U.S., Museveni "ally", Endorse Uganda's Bogus Presidential "Elections"?


http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-quickly-will-us-museveni-ally.html

Rigging a Rigged Election!!

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2010/11/rigging-rigged-election-situating.html

US congratulates President Museveni

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/747391

Ethics minister, US decry Ingrid arrest

“We call upon the US and Britain, the two countries most responsible for sustaining the Ugandan regime, to issue a clear statement denouncing the sexual assault against an activist and leader. We call upon all members of Parliamenr , regardless of their political affiliations, to join us in condemning this assault,” the statement further read.

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1392608/-/avjcgpz/-/index.html

By John Njoroge 

Posted  Tuesday, April 24  2012 at  00:00

Ethics and Integrity State Minister Simon Lokodo yesterday joined the American government in condemning the brutal manner in which opposition Forum for Democratic Change Women’s League leader, Ingrid Turinawe, was arrested last Friday. “It was very humiliating for her (Ms Turinawe) and for the country. That officer must be brought to book,” Rev. Fr. Lokodo said.

He, however, took a dim view of women activists who yesterday morning marched onto Kampala’s Central Police Station (CPS) half naked in protest, saying they could have been more dignified while calling for action.

Rights abuse

A press statement issued by the public affairs officer at the US embassy, Mr Dan Travis, said: “We condemn any excessive use of force by police or protestors. We urge the Ugandan government to respect citizen right to assemble freely and encourage Uganda to investigate allegations of excessive use of force by security services and to hold perpetrators accountable.

We also ask opposition and civil society activists to ensure that their activities remain peaceful and within the confines of the law.”

Six women activists, including Ms Happy Nasasira, Ms Lillian Nangobi, Ms Barbara Alimadi, Ms Salima Nsibambi and two others, were temporarily detained at CPS.

Rev. Fr. Lokodo said the women activists, who were outraged at the violent groping of Ms Turinawe’s breast by the police, wanted to “perpetuate violence”. “It is unacceptable for mature people to behave in an undignified manner. Why add insult to injury?” he said.

Information Minister Mary Karooro Okurut could not say if there was an official response from the government, which has in the past taken pride in its efforts to further the respect of women’s rights. “I condemn any molestation of any woman. If you are arresting a woman, it must be done by a female officer. I understand the officer involved has been suspended,” she said last night.

By last evening Ms Turinawe was undergoing treatment at her home.
“I am still under medication. I pray I heal quickly and get back onto the streets,” Ms Turinawe told this newspaper.

Earlier in the day, the women activists held a press conference at Open House on Buganda Road before marching to CPS. They demanded the resignation of Inspector General of Police, Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura, the arrest of the officer who assaulted Ms Turinawe and called for a worldwide condemnation of the attack. “Any country that does not respect its women is a country that has descended into anarchy,” they said in a statement.

“We call upon the US and Britain, the two countries most responsible for sustaining the Ugandan regime, to issue a clear statement denouncing the sexual assault against an activist and leader. We call upon all members of Parliamenr , regardless of their political affiliations, to join us in condemning this assault,” the statement further read.

At CPS, the police ordered the women to leave the station when they stripped. A scuffle ensued with police deploying pepper spray to disperse a crowd that was steadily gathering.

Journalists covering the demonstration were also indiscriminately targeted with pepper spray, resulting in Radio Simba’s Joshua Mutale sustaining an eye injury.
jnjoroge@ug.nationmedia.com

Uganda Ingrid Turinawe 'sexual abuse' protesters strip

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17814860
23 April 2012 Last updated at 14:25 GMT

A group of women have stripped to their bras in protest at the alleged sexual assault by Ugandan police of a high-profile female opposition politician.

Footage shows an officer squeezing the breast of Ingrid Turinawe of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) during her arrest ahead of a rally last week.
Deputy police chief Andrew Kaweesa has apologised, saying the incident will be investigated.
Uganda's opposition says police regularly harass them during protests.
Since President Yoweri Museveni's controversial 2011 re-election, there has been a wave of opposition demonstrations - many of which have ended in violence and arrests.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

How would you feel if we squeezed your balls?”

Protesters' placard

But correspondents say Ugandans are outraged by the arrest on Friday of Ms Turinawe, who is the head of the Women's League of the FDC led by Kizza Besigye.

Ugandan television footage clearly shows that, as several officers tried to pull her out of her vehicle, another grabbed and squeezed her breast - and she is heard shouting out in pain.
The BBC's Siraj Kalyango in the capital, Kampala, says a group of about 15 women marched through the town to the main police station waving placards, including one that read "How would you feel if we squeezed your balls?"
Six protesters were arrested after they refused to put their tops back on - but they were released two hours later without charge.
"We wanted to ask the police if they are there to do their jobs or there to pinch breasts," event organiser Barbara Allimadi told the AFP news agency.

Police opens investigations into Turinawe arrest

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/630544-630544-police-opens-investigations-into-turinawe-arrest.html

Publish Date: Apr 24, 2012

By Moses Walubiri
Police has sanctioned an internal investigation of its officers who were involved in FDC’s Ingrid Turinawe's arrest last Friday over alleged sexual assault.
The leader of the women's league in FDC allegedly had her breasts “pinched and fondled”  by police officers who apprehended her on her way to an opposition rally at Nansana.
"We normally have our own footages of operations like the one involving Ingrid last week. An investigation has already been sanctioned and it will be concluded very soon.
“Any officer deemed to have committed errors will face punitive measures," Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, Ibin Ssenkumbi told New Vision online on Monday.
This development has come on the backdrop of a petition by civil society leaders to the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga over what they have deemed a “systematic attempt by the State to use sexual assault as a political weapon."
In their plea, civil society leaders under their umbrella, Uganda Governance Monitoring Platform, want Parliament to challenge all manifest acts of brutality by men and women in uniform and to use Ingrid's arrest as a catalyst to "speed up the enactment of the Anti-Torture Bill, review the public order management Bill" and all other Bills attendant to prevention of abuse of human rights.
"We met the Speaker this morning over the increasing incidents of police brutality and she has promised that Parliament will confer over it," Bishop Dr.Zac Niringiye told journalists at Makerere University on Monday.
Fida's Irene Ovonji Odida and Crispy Kaheru of the Citizens' Coalition for Electoral Democracy demanded that the police officer who fondled Ingrid's breasts during her arrest be held personally responsible for an act they dubbed "criminal."
"I am appalled that a government that has over the years prided itself in encouraging women to participate in politics can condone sexual assault against women leaders.
“Even if someone is in breach of the law, lifting her legs, pinching and fondling her breasts has nothing to do with arresting such a person. It amounts to sexual assault and its criminal," Ovonji said.
The civil society leaders demanded that the police officer in question be identified, tried and dismissed from service.
They also appealed to Police to show restraint in dealing with citizens involved in lawful protests and also demanded that police offers an unreserved apology "for the humiliating and shameful display of sexual assault and molestation of a woman before the nation."
Before the opposition pressure group, A4C was banned by the Attorney General early this month, Ingrid had always been locked in confrontations with police over organizing protest rallies.

Senior Policeman demoted over brutal arrest: Selective justice!! How about Besigye’s tormentor Arinaitwe

FIRST READ:  

‘Born again’ state operative arrests Opposition leader in a cruel and degrading way

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1152856/-/c25wt6z/-/index.html  

Unmasking Besigye’s tormentor

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1152902/-/c25w69z/-/index.

 ‘Born again’ State security agent from Pastor Kayanja's church tortures Uganda opposition leader during arrest

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2011/04/born-again-state-security-agent.html  


Senior Policeman demoted over brutal arrest

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/630538-Senior-Policeman-demoted-over-brutal-arrest.html

Publish Date: Apr 23, 2012

By Donald Kiirya

A senior police officer has been demoted after he was found guilty of brutal arrest of a woman who was suspected of instigating violence that marred the election of the Buikwe district L.C 5 chairperson, last year. Assistant Superintendent of Police, Andrew Gidoi, former Officer in charge (OC) of Njeru Police Post in Buikwe was found guilty of negligence of duty that resulted into a cruel, degrading and inhuman treatment of an individual. Gidoi believed to be in his early 50s was consequently demoted from the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) to Inspector of Police (IP) and also suspended from duty by Police disciplinary court on Thursday.

The court that sat at the Jinja Central Police station was chaired by a Superintendant of Police Pufredic Lukooya. Sections o f the media (Bukedde of February, 27th, 2011) showed Gidoi and his subordinate, sergeant Tabu Bruhan, throwing Annet Namudu a resident of Njeru town council onto a Police patrol truck.

On the fateful day, when Police received a call over election violence at Bujowali Church Polling Station during the elections of L.C 5 chairpersons on February 25, Gidoi commanded his colleagues including Tabu and a Police constable to arrest the alleged ring leaders of the confusion, Namudu and Haruna Wagaba both residents of Njeru. However, they handled Namudu in a manner described by human rights activists as inhuman, by throwing her on a Pick-up truck with her legs in the air and head down.

Activists argued that the act exposed her to shame as Gidoi watched the proceedings. Gidoi and Tabu were first summoned at the Professional Standards Unit at Nalufenya Police Station in Jinja from where they were arrested. Tabu later was absolved since he was being commanded by his boss Gidoi.

During the court proceeding, Lukooya said prosecution investigated the case and found that the Police personnel inhumanly handled Namudu during the time of arrest under the command of the defendant (Gidoi). “The defendant’s evidence in his defense was so discredited since he failed to disgrace evidence by the prosecution,” said Lukooya. The prosecutor, detective inspector Henry Magoola told court that the Gidoi was a senior police officer whose main role was to protect life and property in partnership with public. Magoola, who is also the CID Officer at Njeru Police Post, said Gidoi failed to accomplish his duty because of negligence or lack of knowledge.

“Article 24 of the Constitution of Uganda provides for the dignity and respect of an individual. It prohibits cruel, degrading, inhuman treatment of an individual yet Article 20 (II) of the constitution provides for promotion and preservation of human rights by organs of government,” said Magoola. He added that Gidoi, being a member of the Police force which falls under the executive arm of government would have upheld Uganda’s constitution of 1995. Lukooya later requested Gidoi to say something during the session. Gidoi said “I would like this court to be lenient to me because I am a parent and have 13 children to look after.

 I am a serving officer without a bad record and I have never been in court since I joined the Police force in 1980.” Lukooya adjourned court for ten minutes as he prepared his verdict. When court resumed Lukooya said “I have listened to the submission of the prosecution, opinion of members and the defaulter says he has served Police for the last 32 years but he could not have errored as a Senior Police officer.” Lukooya added that Gidoi’s punishment would serve to restore discipline in the force.

 “Pictures that were published in Bukedde might have contributed much damage to the confidence that public has in the Uganda Police and it might take time to rebuild, therefore this court recommends a reduction in rank of ASP Andrew Gidoi,” said Lukooya while reading the verdict. He said that the defaulter was convicted to reduction in rank due to his scandalous manner contrary to section 44 code 14 (2) of the Police Act adding that they ignored the alternative charge of discreditable or Irregular conduct under section 44 code 12 (28) of the same Act. Lukooya said the second charge was ignored because the defaulter could not be punished on two counts, contrary to the law. He said Gidoi had a right of appeal to the Police council appeals court in a period of 14 days from the day of the sentence.

Gidoi said he will appeal against the sentence in a higher court. Namudu who attended the court session clad in the very attire she wore on the fateful day, expressed happiness about the verdict adding that she never believed Police could convict one of their own over misbehavior in public. She commended government for setting Police disciplinary courts, which she said would help instill discipline in police officers. “I call upon the public to copy a leaf from me, they should not fear reporting police officers who harass them, report them so that justice takes its course,” a happy Namudu said.

Racism ruining Sentamu bid for leader of Anglican Church

Racism ruining Sentamu bid for leader of Anglican Church

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1391934/-/avjycyz/-/index.html

By Isaac Imaka &agencies

Posted Monday, April 23 2012 at 00:00

Dr John Sentamu’s chances of taking over the Anglican Church’s top seat are dwindling by the day. Why? Colour. The early favourite to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury has become a victim of “naked racism” by critics who are trying to besmirch his name, one of his closest supporters has claimed. Although Dr Sentamu has on several occasions spoken against racism, a report by the Sunday Telegraph, one of Britain’s leading Newspapers, quotes two bishops- who spoke on condition of anonymity- citing Dr Sentamu’s African birth as an issue in the race to become the Archbishop of Canterbury. One likened Dr Sentamu’s temperament to that of an “African chief”.

 He said: “I think Sentamu is clearly going to be a very strong front-runner, although I think there are also the people who are not quite sure that he is suitable in terms of the way he behaves, because he is quite tribal and the African chief thing comes through. “My preferred candidate would be [the Bishop of] Norwich, who is very level-headed, sensible and would actually do the job well and has a lot more kind of stability. You wouldn’t know where you were with Sentamu, whereas you would with Norwich.”

Born in 1949 in Masooli near Kampala, Dr Sentamu, who is also the elder brother to Rubaga Miracle Centre’s Robert Kayanja, has spoken in the past about his experience of racism but stressed that any abuse came from outside the Church. But according to the Sunday Telegraph, the second bishop, who is retired, said Dr Sentamu had some “outrageous moments” which had been “balanced” out by Dr Rowan Williams. He added: “There is something in Sentamu which retains his African views and approach, which can be at one time an asset and another time, can be a problem.”

The retired bishop said Dr Sentamu’s African background was apparent in “his understanding around issues of human sexuality”. The Archbishop has opposed the UK government proposals for same-sex marriage. A former aide, who is about to become the Church’s director of communications, said there, was a “stark contrast” between the way Dr Sentamu was portrayed and the treatment of other bishops.

 “At its best, the besmirching of John Sentamu has revealed that strand of snobbery which views outsiders as lacking class, diplomacy or civility — in other words ‘not one of us,’” the Sunday Telegraph quoted the Rev. Arun Arora. The comments by Dr Sentamu’s former aide were published on Mr Arora’s blog on March 23, before his new appointment was announced.

“At worst, it has elicited the naked racism which still bubbles under the surface in our society, and which is exposed when a black man is in line to break the chains of history.” His allegation of an “anonymous whispering” campaign against Dr Sentamu has the potential to be hugely damaging to the Church. In 2000, he criticised police after an officer refused to justify stopping him and searching his car near St Paul’s Cathedral.

TB Joshua, prophet of soccer and death, and the lie on letter from Mutahrika

TB Joshua, prophet of soccer and death, and the lie on letter from Mutahrika

http://www.zambianwatchdog.com/?p=33636&cpage=2  

April 19, 2012  

OPINION

The mass media is to the general populace what the clergy is to the Church. Evangelism and the teaching of the word of God in the Church is what news bulletins are to the general public. Both the mass media and the clergy serve a system for communicating messages and symbols to their respective audiences, having a compelling function to amuse, entertain, inform, and to inculcate values, beliefs, and codes of behaviour designed to orient people into specific institutional structures.

To sustain the inequalities brought about by class differences and interests, the role of the mass media has sadly been to promote a notorious systematic propaganda regime designed to protect the interests of the propertied classes. The Bible says in Matthew 24:11, “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many,” adding in verse 24, “For there shall arise false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible) With these words, Jesus Christ was foretelling a predicament of deception in the Church, warning believers of mass deception at the hands of unscrupulous religious charlatans titling themselves as prophets, less for the anointing they purport to carry and more for legitimising their deceptive ways. One normally starts a church as Reverend so and so, then Pastor, and then Prophet or Apostle — all the time attributing these changes to God’s instruction. Prophecy, just like propaganda, can be used as a means to control the masses under a tempestuous cloud of loathsome deception.


In countries where the levers of power are in the hands of a state bureaucracy, often there is a monopoly control of the media, coupled by official censorship that ensures that the media serves the ends of a dominant elite. In a Church controlled by a false prophet, there is monopoly control of spiritual and administrative matters by “The Man of God,” ostensibly carrying out instructions from God himself, having a special calling and anointing — a calling quite unique and always superior to that of everyone else that may ever choose to be part of that church. Disagreeing, disobedience and rebellion mean exactly the same thing in a church of this nature. Just to set the record straight, this writer totally believes in the validity of the word of prophecy, the existence of true prophets, the power of the Holy Spirit, and salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. Prophecy is always designed to direct people towards God’s plan, whether this may be through encouragement, warning, reprimanding, punishment, or giving direction. It is never about proving a point about the legitimacy of the prophet in question.


God raised so many men of little means and significance as his prophets from the Old Testament dispensation, and it was never God’s worry to necessarily find popular and respected people to be his prophets, and neither did God empower any of the prophets with powers to prove themselves. Even Prophet Elijah’s contest with Baal’s 450 false prophets was not a show of legitimacy for Elijah himself but an exposure of the deception of Baal. It was a redemption exercise and not a mere show of power. In 2001 this writer answered to an altar call by Prophet Andrew Wutawunashe at the Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex; not so much of a complex these days. Prophet Wutawunashe had prophesied that God was showing him a “few men who are going to climb the mountain of politics,” including some who would “become political writers.” The altar call was not for the Prophet to make politicians and political writers out of members of his congregation, but a confirmation of ambitions and callings already existent within the Church, also an assurance of God’s blessing to such initiatives.


Among the few of us who went forward to “receive God’s blessing” were the likes of George Chingarande, Patrick Huni, and Casper Shumba, all published political writers of various convictions and ideas. It is this writer’s conviction that the purpose of this prophecy was to keep our inherent ambitions and callings within God’s plan, not necessarily to create future politicians for the Prophet or for his church — it was a plan to breed God-fearing politicians and political writers from within the Church. The 1st Corinthians Chapter 14:4 says the purpose of prophesying is to “edify” the Church, “speaking unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” (Verse 3). Today, we read about a populist Nigerian prophet whose idea of edifying and comforting the Church is to make predictions of soccer results, pretty much just like any other gambler in the soccer-gambling syndicates, only that he says God favours him “to watch these matches before they are played.” Just like rogue gamblers fix matches to suit their predictions, false prophets also fix events to suit their prophecies.


Prophet TB Joshua did it with the first match at the World Cup finals in South Africa in 2010, and repeated it when Zambia was about to play Cote d’Ivoire in the Africa Cup of Nations final this year. When Prophet TB Joshua is not edifying the Church through predictions of soccer results, he is predicting the deaths of prominent people to edify and comfort the same church. It all started with the revisionist claims that he had prophesied the death of Michael Jackson by confiding in a “family friend” of the Jacksons, a friend he claims he had tasked to bring Michael to Nigeria “to avoid this death.” He has paraded the claimed friend before his congregation a few times. On February 5, Prophet TB Joshua issued a despondency-bound prophecy about the death of an African head of state, indicating the death would be within 60 days. Immediately after this prophecy the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), the church he founded and leads, issued a statement vehemently denying that the prophet had ever put a date on the prophesied death, only to release a bragging video to the contrary after the death of Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika fell within the prophesied time frame. The prophecy about the death of an African head of state had been repeated by TB Joshua on March 18, and finally on April 1, where video footages show him twice saying the death was to be on a Thursday, although he says he was not sure which Thursday.

Confirmed reports say President wa Mutharika had a heart attack on Thursday the 5th of April, but it is not certain when he actually died, with some reports suggesting he died on Friday the 6th. After the death of President wa Mutharika, TB Joshua’s public relations handlers were quite euphoric in proving the preciseness of the prophecy, posting numerous videos on YouTube and also carrying out complementing programmes on Emmanuel TV, SCOAN’s TV Channel. To prove that the prophecy was no fluke, TB Joshua braggingly brought to church a letter he claimed was written to him by President wa Mutharika, purportedly acknowledging that he knew the prophecy was about him. Joshua did not reveal the contents of the letter but allowed photographers to take pictures of the letter’s letterhead and signature. It turns out that the letter in question was a mere acknowledgment of receipt of a book given to the President by TB Joshua, according to the late Mutharika’s Aide on Religious Affairs, one Billy Gama, and also according to the typist who says she was tasked to type the letter, both of them claiming to have copies of the said letter. The prophecy about the death of an African head of state initially sounded like most of TB Joshua’s characteristic one size fits all prophecies, with the usual outlet strategy of saying, “I am praying to see if I can stop this,” something Joshua would be assured of boasting about if no head of state had died in the whole of 2012.

But also this seems to have been a classic case of the now common “prophesying from a data base” strategy, so much used by young and popular trickster prophets who mischievously memorise mobile numbers of people from written down prayer requests, only to recite them days later before prayerful and unsuspecting congregations, making impressive claims of having known people’s problems and ailments directly from God. People blissfully forget that they provided this vital information themselves. Some junior pastors from satellite churches tell the Prophet information obtained during counselling sessions with their church members, only for the prophet to break into a sudden tongue-speaking trance during an ordinary preaching session, calling out the name of a person he says God is telling him about, and proceeding to proudly reveal that person’s problem. The confirmation of this prophecy by the prophesied person always sends the congregation into raucous shouts of “Hallelujah!” Bibles and jackets hysterically thrown into the air in jubilation, drums and keyboards screaming to high heavens. Back to Prophet TB Joshua, the facts of his prophecy are that the successor of the late Mutharika, Joyce Banda, has been a member of Joshua’s SCOAN since 2009, and she is a widely broadcasted supporter of Prophet TB Joshua. Joyce Banda had a public fallout with Mutharika and she is on video publicly asking SCOAN members for prayers “on this persecution.” The last visit was in November 2011, after Banda had been reported to be under police investigation for treason, something that emanated from her public endorsement of public demonstrations against President Mutharika.


It was also reported that documents linking Banda to a plot to topple Mutharika with the help of “some Nigerians” were in the hands of the Police Chief in Malawi. This man was the first person to be sacked by Banda hours after the confirmation of Mutharika’s death. The possibility that TB Joshua’s prophecy could have been based on important intelligence possibly provided by Banda and/or her aides cannot be dismissed easily without investigation, just like the likelihood that Mutharika’s death could have been medically induced by people hired to ensure Banda’s ascendancy to power is tempting enough to warrant a call for an investigation. In this case the prophecy could have played a huge role in diverting public attention from the possible criminality behind this death, what with everyone crediting Joshua for expert prophesying. Investigating these matters would make Prophet TB Joshua a murder suspect at the worst, or an accomplice at the least — undoubtedly making him a heroic target of persecution by those supposedly used by the Devil himself to bring down the man of God; that is in the eyes of his followers. The major attraction to the churches of emerging prophets is the gospel of prosperity, usually preached on the strength of over-promising and the power of testimonies, sometimes heavily exaggerated by those claiming to have been miraculously prospered “after the Man of God prayed for me,” or after “our father told me” this and that. Just like the propaganda model in the US uses terrorism as a national religion to control its citizens, prosperity is used as a hook to attract the attention of poverty-stricken people in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa, overfilling them with a vacuous but addictive hope and faith that a prosperity miracle awaits them if they pray, fast and give away the little they have “to the House of God.” The fear of evil terrorists like the ones who carried out the 9/11 attack is good enough to ensure that Westerners trust almost every word about security that comes from their politicians.


Equally the fear of poverty and the desire to attain sudden and miraculous wealth make the prophet’s followers fanatical about the person and character of the prophet, and viciously defensive against any objections that may be raised in regards to the conduct of the revered man of God. The other day one of the popular prophets in Zimbabwe was exalting back-door dealings by church members for the benefit of himself as “favour from God,” arguing that the person providing the back-door services would have been “strategically placed there by God.” This writer invited the wrath of fellow believers after pointing out that what the man of God had just said was gross heresy. It is like writing against the brutalities of Israel today. So many times this writer has been warned not to “touch the apple of God’s eye,” whatever that means. Propaganda, poverty, prosperity and prophecy are the four Ps we must watch out for as we seek to lead lives truly led and blessed of God. Courtesy of the Herald of Zimbabwe The Author Reason Wafawarova is a political writer based in Sydney, Australia.

Uganda’s Rogue Pastor, William Muwanguzi( Kiwedde) remanded to Luzira Prison

First Read:

Uganda’s Rogue Pastor, William Muwanguzi arrested: He has changed his names to Paul Mwamba and Started a church in Eldoret Kenya


http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2012/04/ugandas-rogue-pastor-william-muwanguzi.html


Pastor Kiwedde remanded to Luzira Prison

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/630465-Pastor-Kiwedde-remanded-to-Luzira-Prison.html

Publish Date: Apr 20, 2012

By Anne Mugisa and Simon Masaba

Pastor William Muwanguzi (Kiwedde) appeared in Court Thursday and was charged with theft.


Makindye Court Magisrtae Charles Serubuga remanded Muwanguzi to Luzira Prison until May 7, 2012.


He also faces other charges including terrorism, illegal possession of firearms and assaulting a Police officer on duty.


Muwanguzi who changed his name to Paul Mwamba had been in hiding in Kenya since 2010, according to Police. He has opened a church in Eldoret which he has been operating.


Meanwhile, different Christian religious leaders said on Thursady that they were suspicious about Muwanguzi's motive for his name change; though he was free to do so.


They said that a name has nothing to do with Christianity and the law allows people who wish to change their names. They said, however, that while some people have good reasons for changing their names, others do it to disguise their dubious lives and that Muwanguzi had been implicated in questionable behaviour.


Several Pastors of the different Pentecostal churches said on Thursday that the different scandals Muwanguzi has been involved in could have prompted his action to run away from that reputation.


Pastor Alex Mitala, chairperson of the National Fellowship of born again churches said that the fellowship does not acknowledge Muwanguzi.


"We denounced him many years ago. You remember that time when he was calling himself Kiwedde. He is not a member of our churches and I cannot talk about him… But the Constitution allows him to have his religion," Mitala said.


Apostle Semakula Gyagenda, an aide to Pastor Joseph Sserwadda said that Muwanguzi has been known for fraudulent dealings and therefore his move is hardly surprising.

"Muwanguzi is changing because of his character. If he is okay with himself why change his name? His problem is the character," he said. He added that another Pastor in Mukono had to change his name from Muwanguzi to Kutesa because of the notoriety that Kiwedde had given it.


Asked whether a Christian would be required to undergo another Baptism for change of name, religious leaders said no. Rev. Diana Nkesiga, the Vicar of All Saints Cathedral at Nakasero said names are simply tags and are not about Baptism.


She also explained though that if one changes a name, assuming it is not for dubious reason, their church will still keep the old record and only attach the affidavit to their file, showing that from a certain date someone changed the name. She said that the Church member must hand in their baptism certificate for the church to check to ensure that the correct record is entered.


According to the Police, intelligence reports indicated that before he fled the country Kiwedde had been posing as a UPDF Major under the name Musinguzi. They said he also

Oh! Uganda the land of Injustice: Man wrongly jailed for 3 years walks free

Man wrongly jailed for 3 years walks free

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/630468-Man-wrongly-jailed-for-3-years-walks-free.html

Publish Date: Apr 20, 2012

Pascal Kwesiga

The General Court martial has acquitted a25-year-man who spent three years in jail where he was taken after being arrested for a crime he did not commit.


The Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP) dropped aggravated robbery charges against Mohammed Ssesanga, saying he was arrested wrongly over robbery.


The state prosecutor, Capt. Fred Kangwamu informed court that Ssesanga was arrested wrongly by the defunct Rapid Response Unit (RRU) operatives from Kitagata cell in Mbarara town in 2009.


He said that Ssesanga was handed over to RRU operatives by local defense soldiers and the area LCIII chairman. Kangwamu said the local authorities picked Ssesanga while he was roaming around the area, a day after a robbery had taken place in the area.


He explained that Ssesanga had been in prison innocently and asked court to set him free. The court chairman, Brig. Charles Angina acquitted Ssesanga.

The curse of Women Emancipation: Ugandan men donate sperm to wealthy women

Ugandan men donate sperm to wealthy women

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/630479-Ugandan-men-donate-sperm-to-wealthy-women.html


Publish Date: Apr 20, 2012

By Cecilia Okoth

A number of wealthy Ugandan women are opting for Artificial Insemination Using Donor Sperm (AID) to get babies.


According to Dr. Prakash Patel, a Gynaecologist at the Fertility Endoscopy Clinic in Nakasero, most of the women who are opting for artificial insemination are from the urban corporate class.


Dr Patel told the New Vision that they have handled a number of women in need of AID. He however said that due to ethical issues, he wasn't at liberty to mention any cases or discuss the issue in greater detail.


"Women today, are more educated and career oriented and therefore do not have much time on their hands. That is why you see some of them waking up at a much later age to have children," Patel said.


Most of the women, who are resorting to this method of getting pregnant, are always aged between 25 and 45 years.


Unlike in the past, where women were considered to be of inferior sex and denied education by some parents, today they are increasingly taking on leadership roles and responsibilities in society.


Patel also said that women who want to have babies without getting into relationships with male partners have opted for Artificial Insemination Using Donor Sperm.

Some women resort to AID after discovering that they have infertile partners who desperately want to have children as well.


Patel said that according to the international law, every fertility clinic is required to limit every sperm donor to no more than eight children.


Artificial insemination is a treatment for infertility, when a couple cannot conceive a baby. It involves directly inserting sperm into a woman's womb.


Artificial insemination can help a couple conceive if there is a problem with the man's sperm or he has erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation.


"In case the half-brother and half-sister resulting from sperm donation have children, there is a high chance of genetic abnormalism and incest among those children," he explained.


"Society cannot have 1000 children looking similar both physically and genetically. The variation of the human race has to continue," he added.


However, Patel said the identity of the sperm donor still remains a confidential matter. "Before women or couples go through the AID process, they sign documents saying they cannot ask for the identity of their sperm donor and the reverse is true for the donor."


"He cannot even ask questions like where his sperms have been used to fertilize which woman" .


There is a strict criterion in which a person first goes through before they become a sperm donor. These include thorough check-ups on the family history, hereditary diseases like diabetes and sickle cells, mental problems, and physical behaviors.

He should be a person who neither drinks nor smokes. Such a person must also be intelligent and must have good hobbies, according to Dr. Patel.


Patel however declined to discuss matter relating to how much women have to pay for the AID. He said the amount of money also depends on the type of sperm donor a woman wants to father her kid.

•

Uganda’s Rogue Pastor, William Muwanguzi arrested: He has changed his names to Paul Mwamba and Started a church in Eldoret Kenya

FIRST READ:

PASTOR MUWANGUZI SAYS HE WAS BORN WITH A BIBLE

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2008/05/pastor-muwanguzi-says-he-was-born-with.html  

Pastor Muwanguzi arrested with over 40 women panties in his car

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2010/09/pastor-muwanguzi-arrested-with-over-40.html

Pastor Muwanguzi now uses SMS to con People

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2010/03/pastor-muwanguzi-now-uses-sms-to-con.html  

City pastor quizzed over rape

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2010/01/city-pastor-quizzed-over-rape.html  

Rogue Pastor Kiwedde Arrested

http://www.ugandaonline.net/news/view/12572/rogue_pastor_kiwedde_arrested

Thursday, 19 April 2012

Pastor William Muwanguzi is being held at Katwe Police Station after he was arrested from the Immigration office where he had gone to pick his passport.

The authorities alerted police that Pastor Muwanguzi was at the Passports office and wanted a passport in the name of Paul Mwamba which he adopted from Kenya after setting up a church there. The Pastor has been on the wanted list of police for various cases that include possession of a gun among others.

The pastor came to the lime light through his Entebbe road based Holy-Fire Ministries Namulanda church. He later bought a Hummer which had a personalized number plate of 'KIWEDDE' meaning that he was done. Pastor Muwanguzi had relocated to Kenya where he even formed a church and changed his name to Paul Mwamba.

He did all this to disguise himself and avoid the police in Uganda that had mounted a search for him. In his church, you had to part with Shs100,000/- to get counselling services.

Meanwhile, on being taken to the police cell at Katwe Police Station, the inmates were singing songs of praise as he sung along. Kiwedde still maintains that he is innocent and as a man of God, going to prison is part of the suffering men like him undergo.

Pastor Kiwedde changes name

Publish Date: Apr 18, 2012

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/630442-pastor-kiwedde-changes-name.html  

By Vision Reporter

EMBATTLED city pastor William Muwanguzi of the Entebbe Road-based Holy Fire Church has changed his name to Paul Mwamba. In a deed poll published in the Uganda Gazette of March 23, 2012, Pastor Muwanguzi stated in part that:


Know ye all persons by this deep poll that, I Mwamba Poll of postal address 11641, Kampala, a Ugandan citizen by descent formerly and lately known as William Muwanguzi, do hereby formally and absolutely renounce, abandon and relinquish the name or the use of my former name and in lieu, thereof, assume as of February 27, 2012 my new name Mwamba Paul as my proper and full name.”


His declaration of change of name was signed on February 28. Muwanguzi came to the limelight because of his flamboyant lifestyle and manner of preaching, which other born-again pastors frowned at as encouraging vengeance by cursing.


The pastors accused him of running a cult. People who know Muwanguzi say his behaviour was wanting. Others said anybody who went to him for counselling had to pay at least sh100,000.


Muwanguzi attracted further attention when he registered his vehicle under the number plate “Kiwedde” meaning “It is finished”. Afterwards, Muwanguzi was dogged by several scandals, including that where the Police arrested him at the American Embassy’s gate over the theft of a reconditioned four-wheeldrive vehicle in 2008.


Muwanguzi was later forced to return the vehicle from the Democratic Republic of Congo where he had allegedly sold it. In the same year, his Congolese wife Athina Mbabazi Kinafontosi fled with millions of shillings from their home.


In 2010, he was hunted by the Police in connection with a shooting at Nateete, a city suburb and the illegal possession of a gun. According to former Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Iddi Ssenkumbi, the Police searched Muwanguzi’s home in Kibuye and recovered a gun with two bullets but he eluded arrest.

Born again churches denounce pastor Muwanguzi

http://www.ugpulse.com/uganda-news/government/born-again-churches-denounce-pastor-muwanguzi/5654.aspx  

The Uganda National Council of Born Again churches have denounced city pastor William Muwanguzi who was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly stealing a car.

The chairperson of the National Council of Born Again Churches Alex Mitala told journalists today in Kampala that Muwanguzi is a cult leader and not a genuine born again leader.

Mitala advised people to desist from being deceived into joining such churches because their leaders have such names as Bishop, Reverend and pastor.

Muwanguzi had earlier been criticized by born again churches for his style of teaching which is said to condone revenge by cursing.

Mitala blamed the current law which registers churches and Non-governmental organizations.

He says a department of religious affairs under the ministry of ethics and integrity should be created to regulate churches so as to avoid Bicuupuli churches.

Pator Muwanguzi of Holy Fire Ministries church at Namulanda along Entebbe Kampala Highway is accused of having failed to pay 24million shillings for a Land Cruiser car he ordered from a Kampala car dealer Mustafa Ssemanda.

Kiwedde bazzeemu okumukwata: Yakyusa amannya

http://www.bukedde.co.ug/news/63184-Kiwedde-bazzeemu-okumukwata--Yakyusa-amannya.html  

Apr 18, 2012

Kampala

Bya Eria Luyimbazi

OMUSUMBA w’Abalokole William Muwanguzi amanyiddwa ennyo nga KIWEDDE akwatiddwa poliisi y’e Katwe n’ettukiza emisango mukaaga egimuvunaanibwa omuli n’ogw’okusangibwa n’emmundu mu ngeri emenya amateeka.

Muwanguzi baamukwatidde ku kitebe kya Minisitule y’ensonga z’omunda eggulo ng’agenze okufuna paasipooti endala eri mu mannya amapya ge yeetuumye aga PAUL MWAMBA.

Yayitimuka nnyo mu 2007 ng’ali mu kkanisa ye eya Holy Fire Ministries e Namulanda ku lw’e Ntebe era n’agula n’emmotoka ey’ekika kya Hummer gye yassaako nnamba ey’obwannannyini eri mu linnya “KIWEDDE” era n’ategeeza nti yamumalako obukadde 500, wabula oluvannyuma ng’ebintu bimutabuseeko, n’agitunda.

Abagoberezi be bwe baamuddukako, yakyusa erinnya mu 2010 ne yeetuuma Faaza Lwazi era n’asengula ekkanisa e Namulanda n’agizza e Mengo kyokka yamalayo akaseera katono nawo n’agisengulawo n’agitwala e Namungoona.

Emisango egivunaanibwa Muwanguzi kuliko ogw’okusangibwa n’emmundu ey’ekika kya bbaasitoola mu ngeri emenya amateeka, okusangibwa n’ebyambalo by’eggye lya UPDF, okweyita ky’atali, okuwamba abaserikale abaali bagenze okumukwata n’abasibira mu nnyumba, okugezaako okutta omuntu bwe yakuba masasi e Nateete n’e Namungoona, n’okutoloka ku baserikale oluvannyuma lw’okumukwatira e Namungoona we yali asula era gyonna yagizza mu October 2010 nga giri ku fayiro CRB 2082/10.

Poliisi ezudde nti oluvannyuma lwa Muwanguzi okutandika okuyiggibwa olw’emisango gino yaddukira e Kenya n’atandikawo ekkanisa mu kibuga Eldoret gye yakyusiza amannya ne yeetuuma Paul Mwamba wabula n’akifunamu obuzibu kubanga ebiwandiiko bye byonna bibadde bikyali mu mannya ga William Muwanguzi.

Kino kye kyamuwalirizza okukomawo mu Uganda mu February w’omwaka guno n’akolagana ne balooya ne bassaayo empapula ezimusabira okukyusa erinnya era gavumenti n’emukkiriza ne liyingizibwa mu kitabo ekitongole nga March 23, 2012.
Yasabye ne paasipooti eri mu mannya amapya era yabadde agenze ku ofiisi ya Minisitule y’ensonga z’omunda ku Jjinja road okugifuna abagikolamu ne bamusoya ebibuuzo oba talina misango gyonna gimuvunaanirwa mu mannya amakadde era bwe yatandise okutamattama ne bamukwasa poliisi.

Oluvannyuma yaweerezeddwa ku poliisi y’e Katwe etwala ekitundu mwe yaddiza emisango n’aggalirwa.

Akulira poliisi y’e Katwe Richard Kuteesa yagambye nti bamaze emyaka ebiri nga banoonya Muwanguzi okuva lwe yadduka nn’aleka ng’asibidde abaserikale mu kisenge ky’ennyumba gye yali apangisa e Namungoona.

Abaserikale basatu baali bagenze okwaza ennyumba ya Muwanguzi, okuzuula amasasi ga bbaasitoola gye yakwatibwa nayo wabula n’abasibiramu n’addukira e Kenya.

EMIVUYO MUWANGUZI GY’ABADDEMU
1. May 2010, poliisi ekwata Muwanguzi oluvannyuma lw’omuwala atanneetuuka okumuloopa nti amukase omukwano. Kigambibwa yamuwamba n’amutwala mu nnyumba e Seguku n’amusobyako.

2. March 10, 2010; poliisi mu Kampala etandika okuyigga Muwanguzi olw’ebigambibwa nti yali akozesa kkampuni za ssimu okuweereza abantu obubaka obubatiisatiisa.

3. October 2010; Muwanguzi yakuba amasasi mu bbanga ng’aba bodaboda bamuzingizza e Nateete era poliisi bwe yayaza mmotokaye n’esangamu obuwale bw’abakazi. Yeeyita omukungu okuva mu ofiisi ya pulezidentu nga yeyita Maj Musinguzi ngayagala okununula basajjabe poliisi beyali ekutte. Ku nkomerero ya 2009 Muwanguzi yategeeza nti mukazi we Anthina Muwanguzi yali amubbyeko obutimbe bwa ssente n’addukira ewaabwe e Congo DRC. Mu mwaka gwe gumu Muwanguzi yaggulawo ekkanisa ya Holy Fire Ministries e Mengo n’oluvannyuma ne yeeyita Faaza Lwazi.
4. June 2008; Ssentebe w’ekibiina ekigatta amakanisa g’abalokole Alex Mitala agoba Muwanguzi ku lukalala lw’Abasumba abatuufu n’agamba nti mufere anoonya ebibye.

5. May 11,2008, Pasita Muwanguzi yatwala mmotoka Toyota Land Cruiser eya Micheal Sango Dai owa East African Disco mu Nyendo, Masaka ya bukadde 24. Yagitumya naye tasasubasasula.


6. Mu 2007; Muwanguzi poliisi yamukwata oluvannyuma lw’okudduka ku katuuti n’emukunguzza okumutuusa e Ntebe ku kkooti nga bamuvunaana kuddukanya kkanisa etali m

Preaching the gospel of bling in Zimbabwe

Preaching the gospel of bling in Zimbabwe


http://nehandaradio.com/2012/04/05/preaching-the-gospel-of-bling-in-zimbabwe/
Headlines, News, Religious — By admin on April 5, 2012 1:33 am

By Jason Moyo
The young woman rocks nervously on her high heels and smiles uneasily as the prophet struts around her. She has had a hard time pinning down a man and she cannot get a job, we are told. Today, all her troubles will end. “Many men have come and promised to marry you, but nothing happens. Is that not true?” declares the prophet.
She swoons: “Yes, man of God.”
He responds: “Listen. I was with the spirit. I’m in a vision. We are travelling. By the power of the spiritual navigator, I am turning towards a junction. Unit K. Is that not where you live?”
She weeps. “Yes, pastor.”
“I am at the door. The hand of the angel of God is on the door, so I can’t see the whole number, just the numbers 7 and 5. What is your house number?” “It is number 7715,” the woman responds. Bull’s-eye. The church rises in a roaring mass, hands in the air. But wait: now for the big reveal.
“My sister,” the pastor says, rubbing his hands as if he were counting money, then holding her hand. “I see you counting money. Money. You will need a money-counting machine. Money, flowing to you.” The “hallelujahs” rise and the band responds with a burst of sound.
Poster boy of the gospel brigade
The prophet is barely into his 30s, wears a velvet jacket, floral high-collar shirt and brown pointed-toe shoes. He goes by the name Uebert Angel. He is one of the poster boys of Zimbabwe’s prosperity gospel brigade. They are in their early 30s, natty dressers who bag crowds yearning to fill the gap left by old-time religion: the promise of prosperity.

Who can resist that? The old churches still insist on Christ’s teachings to “store up your riches in heaven”. But why wait when the prophet in the velvet jacket says you can have it all here and now?

And so, over several recent Sundays, I found myself among the throbbing throngs in Harare’s churches and stadiums, getting down to Nigerian Uche Agu’s My God Is Good Oh, that impossibly catchy anthem of the prosperity gospel movement: “Everything is double-double, promotion double-double, my money double-double, my cars double woah.”

We nod quietly to the parts about salvation. To the parts about wealth, we scream with delight.

They queue before the prophet, waiting for that word to spring them from misfortune. It goes like this: you are poor because of evil spirits. What follows is a microwave exorcism: a quick rap on the forehead, sometimes a whack from the prophet’s jacket. Ardent membership, of which giving is a priority, seals the deal. Soon that elusive job, the husband, the business, is yours.

“Mine is a rich God. Why should his children be poor?” Angel says in one service.

‘The overflow’
Although Angel is hot, he is no match for his close friend, Emmanuel Makandiwa, the lanky, charismatic 34-year-old who leads the United Family International Church, easily Zimbabwe’s biggest church. Here, prosperity gospel is staple fare. Every Sunday Makandiwa draws as many as 40 000 followers. The arena he uses as his church takes only 20 000; thousands more are housed in four giant tents outside, an area called “the overflow”.

To accommodate everyone, he has had to split his Sunday service into two. A third service is held in nearby Chitungwiza, at the construction site of a 30 000-seat church. Queues more than a kilometre long form at dawn for his morning service. Ushers in neon bibs ensure order, handing numbered cards to people waiting in line.

On Sunday, Makandiwa preaches about “possessing the promises”. When the devil steals from you, he tells us, he replaces what was stolen twofold. Which is why, he says, when he crashed his Mercedes Benz S320, it was quickly replaced by a brand-new S600. To that, the couple to my left spring from their chairs, roaring, Bibles thrust in the air.

This church has declared 2012 the “year of results”. What good is faith when you have no material results to show for it? it asks. So followers display stickers on their cars declaring how they have prospered: “I am a child of a prophet who brings results. This car is a result.”

On sale at a kiosk outside the arena are more stickers declaring prosperity. For a dollar, I buy the one declaring: “I have the power of influence.”

The pastors have a firm hold on their followers. The young pastors are called “papa” or “daddy”. Every material gain is owed to Makandiwa. One of his senior pastors, Takura Rukwati, gushes: “Taking a hard look at my life, I can reveal that I had nothing to show in terms of material things before I met prophet Makandiwa. For example, the car I drive, the house I live in, the clothes I wear, even the button on my suit, he provided. Prophet Makandiwa gave me these things.”

A class of partner
So, how do I get in on this prosperity stuff? I have to become a “partner”, I am told. Being a partner means that I get to be one of those members that give more to the church than the ordinary people. The more I give, the more I am blessed.

Here is how it works: there are six different classes of partnership that vary according to how much you give. Classes range from “bronze”, for giving $10 a month, to the “star” class for those who can spare $1 000 or more. You become a partner only after contributing for three consecutive months. Top partners get good seats and even get to hang around the prophet. That widow in the Bible, the one who impressed Jesus the most when she gave only a few lousy coins to the temple while the rich gave sacks of gold? She would not make ¬partner, not even qualify for bronze.

On Mondays, in what used be a movie theatre in central Harare, the partners of Angel’s church meet. On the stage is a man in a grey suit and burgundy tie, warning partners against failing to meet their pledges. According to the teaching here, it is partners who are first in line when God opens “the floodgates of heaven”. There is frequent reference to this scripture — Malachi’s teachings on tithes.

These are not your ordinary, dog-collar kind of pastors. According to Makandiwa’s website: “The man of God has received and continues to receive great revelations from God combined with the unusual ability to rightly divide and teach the word of God with such accuracy and precision worthy of an international minister for the kingdom of God who is and will be noted among the great men of God in the world in this era.”

Makandiwa prophesies Mugabe’s death?

Makandiwa prophesies Mugabe’s death?

http://nehandaradio.com/2012/04/05/makandiwa-prophesies-mugabes-death/

Headlines, News, Religious — By admin on April 5, 2012 12:56 am

By Lance Guma

Popular evangelist Emmanuel Makandiwa has prophesied the imminent death of someone he says has deprived people of their freedom in the country. The 34 year old founder of the United Family International Church (UFIC) also said the country will be plunged into political chaos and urged people to start praying.

Makandiwa said this during a church service on Sunday, the same day Nigerian ‘prophet’ Temitope Balogun Joshua (TB Joshua) repeated his prophecy that “the death of an old African president” is imminent. In February T.B Joshua announced that an African leader would die within 60 days, but did not mention the country.

On Friday an estimated 100,000 UFIC church members are set to converge on the National Sports Stadium for what has been billed as ‘Judgment Night’. Eerily the theme of the service is ‘Your Enemy is Going to Die on that Night’and Makandiwa said “lots of things are going to happen.”

“Because of our environment, I will not give much detail, but as prophets, we choose what to say and what not to say. For now, all I can say is pray for Zimbabwe. Judgment Night has already created its atmosphere and our enemies are ready to die. We can’t reverse it, unless they repent before the night,” he said.

The charismatic evangelist issued a chilling warning saying: “They are dying. Somebody has to die on that Friday morning so that you will be set free. Some people may blame the church, but God is ready to make changes. Are you ready to be blamed? An angel of death shall be released.”

Makandiwa also predicted that his church would be persecuted as a result of his prophecies, saying: “I see a group of professionals in Zimbabwe spearheading attacks against the ministry. I will not give you their names, but these are going to come from sectors with these initials: the D and the M and the J”.

The young prophet has surprised many with his pulling power. His services easily fill up the 60,000 seater National Sports Stadium in Harare. His wealth has also come under increasing scrutiny after he bought a Lexus 570 sports utility vehicle and a 61-piece Italian-made PA system worth US$100,000.

Makandiwa is also building a multi-million-dollar 30,000 seat church in Chitungwiza. Questions were raised about the deal that saw him get the land, with the local MP and some residents alleging corruption.

Makandiwa preaches what is known as the ‘prosperity gospel’, a doctrine which claims that financial blessings are the will of God and that faith, positive speech and donations to Christian ministries will always increase one’s material wealth.

In one service he boasted that when he crashed his Mercedes Benz S320 it was quickly replaced by a brand-new S600.

Last year Makandiwa showered a Waterfalls couple, and one of the Mahendere Brothers gospel singers, with a house and a Mercedes Benz vehicle as gifts for their wedding. This wealth concept has tapped in to the high unemployment levels and poverty in the country with thousands of followers rushing to join his church.

UK aid helps to fund forced sterilisation of India's poor

UK aid helps to fund forced sterilisation of India's poor


Money from the Department for International Development has helped pay for a controversial programme that has led to miscarriages and even deaths after botched operations

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/15/uk-aid-forced-sterilisation-india?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038


• Gethin Chamberlain

• The Observer, Sunday 15 April 2012

Tens of millions of pounds of UK aid money have been spent on a programme that has forcibly sterilised Indian women and men, the Observer has learned. Many have died as a result of botched operations, while others have been left bleeding and in agony. A number of pregnant women selected for sterilisation suffered miscarriages and lost their babies.

The UK agreed to give India £166m to fund the programme, despite allegations that the money would be used to sterilise the poor in an attempt to curb the country's burgeoning population of 1.2 billion people.

Sterilisation has been mired in controversy for years. With officials and doctors paid a bonus for every operation, poor and little-educated men and women in rural areas are routinely rounded up and sterilised without having a chance to object. Activists say some are told they are going to health camps for operations that will improve their general wellbeing and only discover the truth after going under the knife.

Court documents filed in India earlier this month claim that many victims have been left in pain, with little or no aftercare. Across the country, there have been numerous reports of deaths and of pregnant women suffering miscarriages after being selected for sterilisation without being warned that they would lose their unborn babies.

Yet a working paper published by the UK's Department for International Development in 2010 cited the need to fight climate change as one of the key reasons for pressing ahead with such programmes. The document argued that reducing population numbers would cut greenhouse gases, although it warned that there were "complex human rights and ethical issues" involved in forced population control.

The latest allegations centre on the states of Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, both targeted by the UK government for aid after a review of funding last year. In February, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh had to publicly warn off his officials after widespread reports of forced sterilisation. A few days later, 35-year-old Rekha Wasnik bled to death in the state after doctors sterilised her. The wife of a poor labourer, she was pregnant with twins at the time. She began bleeding on the operating table and a postmortem cited the operation as the cause of death.

Earlier this month, India's supreme court heard how a surgeon operating in a school building in the Araria district of Bihar in January carried out 53 operations in two hours, assisted by unqualified staff, with no access to running water or equipment to clean the operating equipment. A video shot by activists shows filthy conditions and women lying on the straw-covered ground.

Human rights campaigner Devika Biswas told the court that "inhuman sterilisations, particularly in rural areas, continue with reckless disregard for the lives of poor women". Biswas said 53 poor and low-caste women were rounded up and sterilised in operations carried out by torchlight that left three bleeding profusely and led to one woman who was three months pregnant miscarrying. "After the surgeries, all 53 women were crying out in pain. Though they were in desperate need of medical care, no one came to assist them," she said.

The court gave the national and state governments two months to respond to the allegations.
Activists say that it is India's poor – and particularly tribal people – who are most frequently targeted and who are most vulnerable to pressure to be sterilised. They claim that people have been threatened with losing their ration cards if they do not undergo operations, or bribed with as little as 600 rupees (£7.34) and a sari. Some states run lotteries in which people can win cars and fridges if they agree to be sterilised.

Despite the controversy, an Indian government report shows that sterilisation remains the most common method of family planning used in its Reproductive and Child Health Programme Phase II, launched in 2005 with £166m of UK funding. According to the DfID, the UK is committed to the project until next year and has spent £34m in 2011-12. Most of the money – £162m – has been paid out, but no special conditions have been placed on the funding.

Funding varies from state to state, but in Bihar private clinics receive 1,500 rupees for every sterilisation, with a bonus of 500 rupees a patient if they carry out more than 30 operations on a particular day. NGO workers who convince people to have the operations receive 150 rupees a person, while doctors get 75 rupees for each patient.

A 2009 Indian government report said that nearly half a million sterilisations had been carried out the previous year but warned of problems with quality control and financial management.

In 2006, India's ministry of health and family welfare published a report into sterilisation, which warned of growing concerns, and the following year an Indian government audit of the programme warned of continuing problems with sterilisation camps. "Quality of sterilisation services in the camps is a matter of concern," it said. It also said the quality of services was affected because much of the work was crammed into the final part of the financial year.

When it announced changes to aid for India last year, the DfID promised to improve the lives of more than 10 million poor women and girls. It said: "We condemn forced sterilisation and have taken steps to ensure that not a penny of UK aid could support it. The UK does not fund sterilisation centres anywhere.

"The coalition government has completely changed the way that aid is spent in India to focus on three of the poorest states, and our support for this programme is about to end as part of that change. Giving women access to family planning, no matter where they live or how poor they are, is a fundamental tenet of the coalition's international development policy."

Catholics do not worship statues—Lwanga: OH! Really

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. (Exodus 20:4)



Catholics do not worship statues—Lwanga


http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/630374-catholics-do-not-worship-statues-lwanga.html

Publish Date: Apr 16, 2012


By Juliet Lukwago

The Archbishop of Kampala Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga has clarified that Catholics do not worship statues, but instead use them to reflect on their saintly life and behaviour.

He said Catholics use the holy images, paintings and other artistic devices to recall persons or things depicted.

“Just as it helps one to remember one’s mother or father by looking at her or his photograph; images also help Christians to recall saints by looking at their pictures or statues,” Lwanga said on Sunday.

The church leader was showing hundreds of followers parts of the remains of Sr. Faustina Krakow of Poland, the witness of the Devine Mercy which were brought from Poland by Rev Fr. Achiles Mayanja.

Fr. Mayanja, the administrator of Lubaga Cathedral, had just returned from a pilgrimage in Poland, the the home country of the late Sr. Faustina.

Lwanga declared Rubaga Cathedral Parish the home of the Divine Mercy in Kampala Archdiocese and urged believers to make an effort there and reflect on and venerate Jesus Christ.

The prelate was at Lubaga Cathedral during a holy mass to celebrate the day of Divine Mercy (Jesus Christ) on which he conveyed God’s great message through Sr. Faustina Kraków of Poland to the world.

The message was a revelation of the pattern of Christian perfection based on trust in God.

Faustina, who is now a saint, was born on August 25, 1905 in Gogowiec in Poland in a religious peasants’ poor family and she died at a tender age on December 5, 1938. She was the third of ten children.

Throughout her life, she reported a number of visions of Jesus Christ and conversations with Him, which she wrote about in her diary and was later published as a book diary titled Divine Mercy in My Soul.

Lwanga said the use of images of Christ and the saints in the Catholic faith is misunderstood by many. “It does not only show their lack of knowledge about the use of these items, but also ignorance of what the Bible says.”

"The people who accuse Catholics of adoring images should consult those who are knowledgeable in their respective religions before making such criticisms and other comments about the Catholic Church and other peoples’ religions,” he said.

He gave an example of a Ugandan woman singer who sarcastically sang a song titled Nsonyiwa Father , which according to Lwanga, belittles and despises the Catholic religion as far as the Sacrament of Penance, is concerned.

“Why do some people find pleasure and pride in despising other peoples’ religions?” Lwanga sounded firm.

The prelate stressed that images and pictures help Catholics to reflect on Jesus Christ Himself and his saints just as one would look at a picture of his or her beloved one or parent and vividly remember as if that person was still living

His justification was clear: “God has never banned the religious use of statues.”

The function was attended by hundreds of Christians from 54 parishes that form the Kampala Archdiocese.

Kamuli girl who walked 12km for ARVs dead

First Read:

Since when did the HIV creators become passionate about HIV spread: US Embassy in Kampala says Circumcision does reduce HIV spread


http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2012/04/since-when-did-hiv-creators-become.html

US cannot continue funding treatment and care yet more and more Ugandans are getting infected: Oh! really

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2011/06/us-cannot-continue-funding-treatment.html


Kamuli girl who walked 12km for ARVs dead

Publish Date: Apr 13, 2012

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/630309-kamuli-girl-who-walked-12km-for-arvs-dead.html

By Tom Gwebayanga
Rachel Namulondo, the 17-year-old girl who has been trekking for 12 kilometers for five months to pick her ARV's from Kamuli Main Hospital in Kamuli district, has died.

Namulondo, whose plight ran in New Vision, died in her 85-year-old grandfather’s hut in Gwozira zone in Nabwigulu sub-countyTuesday night.

The teen has been a common sight along Nabirumba -Kamuli road en route to pick her ARV's from the hospital and back to her home.
Her father, Amuza Lugandha abandoned her, saying he could not waste his money on an AIDS victim.

According to Stephen Namayo, the Community Based Facilitator (CBF) under Plan-Kamuli, Namulondo died when her grandfather, Nasani Musengawe was asleep.

She developed a high temperature and started vomiting after supper which briefly stopped after midnight

Her grandfather, thinking the girl was a bit okay, retired to his bed as the girl battled for her life but died. Mzee Musengawe woke up at about 6.30 am only to find his granddaughter lifeless.

The LC1 Chairman, James Balukube said Namulondo, whose mother, Monica Nakamya, , died four years ago, got infected with HIV a decade ago as she attended to her aunt, Monique Naggita, who was an HIV/AIDS victim.

She tested HIV positive in 2004 and has been struggling to live single-handedly, picking her ARV's on foot for the last five months of her life, until Tuesday night.

Girl walks 12km for ARVs

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/630207-girl-walks-12km-for-arvs.html

Publish Date: Apr 10, 2012

By Tom Gwebayanga
For the last five months, 17-year-old Martha (not real name) has been a common sight on the Nabirumba-Kamuli road on her way to pick antiretro- viral (ARV) drugs from Kamuli Hospital.

Her monthly trek began in December last year after her father, a resident of Nabwigulu sub-county, kicked her out of his home, saying he would not waste his resources on an HIV/ AIDS patient.

Left with no choice, Martha left to live with grandfather, 9km farther away from the nearest health facility.

This meant that despite her precarious health, she had to walk 12km to pick ARVs.

Martha’s plight came to light last Friday at Nabirumba Health Centre III, where Plan, an NGO, organised a function to mark the World Tuberculosis Day.

“We have, in our midst, an AIDS patient, whose parents have dumped. She walks 12km to and from hospital to collect her ARVs,” the Kamuli district information officer, Joseph Ngobi, said.
Ngobi said Martha’s life was in danger because the grandfather, Nasani Musengawe, was too poor to provide a balanced diet or food supplements for the girl, let alone for himself.

“She is sickly because of poor feeding. A person on ARVs needs to eat foods that are rich in proteins and carbohydrates,” Ngobi added.

The sight of the frail girl evoked pity as she slowly sat up and struggled to speak.
“I have lost hope. Much as I get the drugs, I should have a balanced diet, which my grandfather cannot afford,” Martha said.

She said she loves matooke, rice, meat, chicken and milk but nobody can offer her such food.

Martha knew her HIV status in 2002 when she was only eight years old.At the time, she had been looking after her bedridden HIV-positive aunt.

She dropped out of school in Primary Four when her health deteriorated.

Her mother died of natural causes four years ago and her father, who has not remarried, lives with Martha’s only brother.

Nabirumba LC1 chairman James Bakulube said Martha could have contracted HIV 10 years ago as she took care of her aunt.
Four years later, he added, she developed health complications and was tested and found to be HIV-positive.

After the results, he says, her father rejected her.
“He was advised to take care of the child or face arrest.
He took heed last year, but for the last five months, the child has had to walk from her grandfather’s home to pick her ARVs,” Ngobi said.

Kamuli community officer Leo Merewooma appealed to NGO’s and civil society organisations to help Martha.

The acting LC5 chairman, Samuel Bamwole, appealed for collective responsibility and parental care towards the girl.

Machine gun guards, the Archbishop of York's millionaire brother and a very troubling allegation

Machine gun guards, the Archbishop of York's millionaire brother and a very troubling allegation
By David Jones
PUBLISHED: 21:42 GMT, 6 April 2012 | UPDATED: 21:42 GMT, 6 April 2012

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2126260/The-Archbishop-Yorks-millionaire-brother-troubling-allegation.html#ixzz1rw48vsNT


With John Sentamu front-runner to lead the Church of England, the Mail travels to Uganda to trace the rise of this brilliant charismatic man - and stumbles on a troubling family scandal

This is a tale of two remarkable, though very different brothers who have risen from humble beginnings in a poor Ugandan village to positions of power in utterly contrasting Churches.

Having fled to Britain as a young man, one has risen through the ranks of the Church of England and is now the bookmakers’ favourite to be its first black leader following the recent resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The other has remained in East Africa to establish a hugely successful evangelical ministry with its own TV channel, a 10,500-seater auditorium and some of Uganda’s most powerful people among his vast following — only to find his reputation tarnished by a series of allegations (all unproven and strenuously denied) including a lurid gay sex scandal.

One despises the modern scourge of materialism, famously adapting Descartes’ dictum to proclaim Britain’s new motto as ‘Tesco ergo sum’ (I shop, therefore I am); the other wears designer suits, lives in a fabulous mansion overlooking Lake Victoria and unashamedly preaches the virtues of wealth.

And this weekend, one brother will lead a quintessentially English Easter service at York Minster while the other will preach fire-and-brimstone and purge demons amid the hysteria of a Kampala cathedral called the Miracle Centre, where armed guards patrol the barbed wire perimeter fence.

Indeed, while tracing the extraordinarily divergent paths of the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, 62, and his 50-year-old brother, Pastor Robert Kayanja, there are times when it is difficult to believe they are brothers at all.

Their story begins in a ramshackle six-bedroom farmhouse in the village of Masooli, ten miles from Kampala, where, with their seven brothers and four sisters, they were raised by devoutly religious parents whose forebears were converted by British missionaries.

John, the sixth youngest, was born in 1949, when Uganda was still a British colony, while Robert arrived in 1962, the year it gained independence.

However, time marches so slowly in these parts that little has changed in the village since those days.

At the family’s smallholding, with its banana grove, jackfruit trees and scrawny tethered cows, I saw just how far they have come.
For many years the family subsisted on the crops they grew and the meagre wage earned by their father, also John, who was a teacher and farmer before becoming an Anglican priest. His wife Ruth assisted him as a lay preacher.

Encouraged to work hard and make the best of their abilities, most of the 13 children were, in their way, high-achievers. While some became nurses, teachers or priests, one son was an opposition politician and a daughter, Margaret, once managed Idi Amin’s favourite hotel.

(Though she despised the murderous dictator — like the rest of the family — her brother told me how Amin awarded her a special medal because she was his ‘favourite manageress’.)

Even among his talented, hard-working siblings, however, Dr Sentamu stood out. By all accounts, he took it upon himself to care for his family and would use what money he had to provide for them.

When he attended university he would sell his college books to pay for his six younger brothers’ education; and he gave Robert Kayanja his shoes as a confirmation present. But he had a mischievous sense of humour and gave amusing nicknames to everyone in the village.

He was also a keen member of the local amateur dramatics club and loved sport. He is remembered for his prowess at rugby and football (he is a lifelong Manchester United fan, but also watches his local team, York City).

For many years, his father wanted him to become a doctor. He was certainly bright enough, but there was not enough money to provide good schooling. However, when Sentamu was 15, teachers at the prestigious Kyambogo College spotted his potential, took him under their wing and offered him lodgings. Their generosity transformed his future.

At university he read law, and on graduating was immediately pressed into service as a magistrate, for so many intellectuals had fled the country or been killed by Amin’s henchmen that they were in short supply.

Sentamu has related how he became an Oskar Schindler-type figure who would jail defendants brought before him on trumped-up charges, knowing that if he released them they would be murdered. He has also described how he was detained for 90 days and ‘kicked around like a football’ after convicting the dictator’s cronies (he jailed Amin’s cousin for rape, despite being warned to find him innocent).

He escaped almost certain execution by defecting to Britain in 1974 when he was granted temporary leave from Uganda to study for a theology degree at Cambridge University.

Such grim experiences undoubtedly underpin a determination to fight injustice that once saw him undergo a week-long fast while camping outside York Minster in solidarity with victims of the Middle East conflict and to cut up his dog-collar, live on TV, in protest at Robert Mugabe’s atrocities.

They might also explain the fierce patriotism for his adopted country that has moved him to defend aspects of colonialism and champion British values more proudly than many who were born in Britain.

However, when it comes to the key issues that will test his unifying powers to their limits should he become Archbishop of Canterbury — such as whether female bishops and gay church marriages should be permitted — Sentamu is very much a traditionalist, like most African Anglicans.

This makes the protracted, tawdry — and utterly unproven — homosexual abuse scandal that has tarnished his brother’s reputation all the more ironic.

What is this unedifying saga about and how does Robert find himself embroiled in it, to the point where for three years he has been fighting to clear his name in the Ugandan courts?

Well, it is first necessary to understand the bitter divisions between the vast number of independent Churches and their self-styled pastors in Uganda, where religion is a cut-throat business that thrives on the blind devotion of followers, many of whom would otherwise be without hope.

Nowhere is the rivalry fiercer than in the Pentecostal movement, which attracts millions with the promise of life-changing miracles.

In their determination to lure new members, its pastors frequently make damning accusations against rivals — and in a country where a law is being debated in parliament that would make certain homosexual ‘crimes’ punishable by death, any claim involving gay sex is the most damning of all.
According to Robert Kayanja, Uganda’s most powerful pastor, with more than 1,000 churches and the president’s wife at one time in his congregation, this is why he has been targeted so relentlessly and unjustly.

Several years ago, he was accused of smuggling crates of alcohol worth thousands across Lake Victoria, from Kenya, and stashing them in his palatial mansion, but the authorities accepted his explanation that his security guards had staged the scam without his knowledge.

Then, last year, he reportedly issued a bounced cheque for 300 million Ugandan shillings (about £79,000) to a Ugandan Asian businessman who had claimed to have loaned him the money to fund a rally featuring the leading American evangelist Benny Hinn.

A photograph of the cheque featured in a Ugandan newspaper (though it failed to explain why a man as wealthy as Kayanja would have insufficient funds in his bank account), but the matter was resolved amicably.

The sex scandal has proved more enduring. The first allegation was made by Samson Mukisa, a teenage boy who claimed Kayanja had procured him from the Miracle Centre’s Never Again home for street children. But others followed.

The boys are said to have sought help from four rival pastors, who were already on a crusade to root out alleged impropriety in the evangelical movement. They went to the police and later gave graphic TV and newspaper interviews discrediting Kayanja.

Within weeks, however, the tables were well and truly turned. Five of the six ‘victims’ were said to have recanted their statements, and the police not only cleared Kayanja of any impropriety, but laid charges against his accusers for tarnishing his reputation.
For the past three years the case has been grinding through the courts. It is being presided over by a new magistrate, the first having been removed amid allegations by the boys’ lawyers, again unproven, that he was bribed with a house and car.

There have been so many other murky allegations —that the boys were also bribed or coerced to change their stories; that one of Kayanja’s aides was kidnapped and forced to testify against him; that he bought off the police by paying for their HQ to be renovated — that the affair has become Uganda’s ‘Pastorgate’.

When he gave evidence, Kayanja drew on his considerable powers of oratory to proclaim his innocence, and even a defence lawyer concedes that his speech was ‘electrifying’.

‘Your worship, I don’t sell bananas or cows — I deal with human beings,’ he declared. ‘A man’s name is all he has, and when someone deliberately, relentlessly desires to destroy that name, he has destroyed everything you stand for.’

Just so, but Kayanja’s audacious style of preaching and jaw-dropping predictions (he once warned — wrongly — that a presidential candidate would die during a general election campaign) made him many enemies. He has told how his mission began in 1983, when he was 20 and met a witch who warned him he would die within three days.

‘Instead the witch died. They found his body in the middle of the road, his severed head by the roadside,’ he said, adding he had dreamt the previous night that God had handed him a sword with which to slay the enemy.
At his Miracle Centres, stories such as this are common parlance and believed without question.

Indeed, when I mentioned that I was writing this article to a waiter at my hotel, he became moony-eyed and said he had landed his job after beseeching Pastor Kayanja to pray for him to find work.

As the word spread, wealthy entrepreneurs, senior police and military officers also joined his Church, enabling him to build the huge £4.5 million auditorium, boasted to be the biggest on the continent. Funding for its huge, reflective windows reputedly came from a South Korean Buddhist woman who emerged from a coma after Kayanja asked God to help her.

As his popularity soared, he acquired a fleet of London buses to ferry followers to the cathedral from outlying towns and villages. When I asked an aide how he came by them, he smiled. ‘The Lord provides,’ he said enigmatically.

While many of his devotees can barely afford to eat, his popularity has made him, by Ugandan standards, fabulously rich. He jets around the world first-class to spread the Gospel on a diplomatic passport granted, he says, because he is ‘an ambassador of Christ’.

At times, however, his performance last Sunday at the Miracle Centre — entertaining as it was — seemed more like a get-rich-quick seminar than a religious service.

‘Be the first one in your family to buy a new car! Be the first one to take a flight overseas! Go and buy a new apartment!’ he cajoled his followers, as they stuffed their weekly donations into several huge raffia baskets besides the altar platform. ‘Mobilise yourselves! People don’t get rich because they were born rich. They invent something and mobilise the market!’

He also pledged to open bank accounts for the scores of followers who raised their hands to indicate they were without one, and urged them to visualise amassing ‘a million dollars’.

His glamorous wife, Jessica, chief executive of their company, is evidently of a like mind, selling her books and CDs at a stall inside the cathedral. One book, entitled Girl Power, urges women to make the most of their attributes and do all they can to please their husband.

In another she describes how, with God’s help, she and her three children overcame the sex allegations against her husband.

She is in stark contrast to the Archbishop’s wife. Sentamu met Margaret at Makerere University in Uganda, where she was studying English Literature, and they married the year before fleeing to England.

She has done various jobs in the church and is now a freelance diversity management and recruitment consultant and patron of various charities. The couple have two children of their own, Geoffrey and Grace, and two adopted children.

Back in Uganda, my own welcome to the Miracle Centre was somewhat disquieting. First, I was ushered through an airport-style security scanner while the undercarriage of my taxi was swept for bombs.

Then when the Mail’s photographer attempted to take a shot of the cathedral, all hell broke loose. As one guard grabbed her and demanded her camera, another leapt on the car and snatched the keys from the ignition.

A spiked metal girder was jammed beneath the front wheels so we were effectively impounded.

The stand-off ended only when a junior pastor emerged from this most unlikely cathedral, a Bible tucked beneath his arm, to call off our captors.
Pastor Kayanja later sent me an email explaining that it was his duty to protect parishioners from the threat of terrorist attacks, but while one accepts East Africa has become the target for Islamic fundamentalists, they tend not to come disguised as pin-striped suited Englishmen.

Just what the Archbishop of York — who preached at the Miracle Centre in 2005 and officiated at Robert’s wedding — would make of all this, one can but imagine.

This week, his Press office would say only that he was ‘aware’ of the slurs been levelled at his brother, but declined to discuss them.

‘As a matter of Christian discipline he does not comment on or criticise other Churches,’ his spokesman added pointedly.

This is precisely the sort of diplomatic response one would expect from a distinguished churchman who stands on the threshold of epoch-making greatness. And who is, in so many ways, worlds apart from his controversial brother.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2126260/The-Archbishop-Yorks-millionaire-brother-troubling-allegation.html#ixzz1rw4Fjxby