UGANDA: Luwum victim of Amin intrigue, Kisembo victim of Museveni dictatorship

ARCHBISHOP LUWUN AND BISHOP KISEMBO ARE RESPECTIVE VICTIMS OF INTRIGUE AMONGST ANTI-IDDI AMIN DISSIDENTS AND MUSEVENI'S MILITARY DICTATORSHIP

CHANGE OF GUARDS - "I am prepared to die in the army of Jesus.  While the opportunity is there, I preach the gospel with all my might, and my conscience is clear before God that I have not sided with the present government which is utterly self-seeking."  ----  Late Archbishop Janan Luwum - 1977

"I have categorically stated that I don't belong to any political office.  I am just fulfilling my calling as a religious leader who has the mandate to talk about anything created by God whom I serve."  ---      Bishop Reuben Kisembo of Rwenzori Diocese - 2018

Celebrated former Archbishop Janan Luwum was murdered at the hands of the Iddi Amin regime in 1977.  He had been outspoken against the excesses of the Iddi Amin regime.  The Anglican Church in Uganda is historically linked with the UPC party which by design took over from the colonialists at independence in 1962.  The UPC government was overthrown by Iddi Amin in 1971 and dissident activities against the Iddi Amin regime established bases in neighboring Tanzania.  As head of the Anglican Church in Uganda, also dubbed Church of Uganda (COU), Archbishop Janan Luwum supported the dissident activities.  He was not alone but also had the likes of Bishop Kivengere, Bishop Yona Okoth and others.

By the time Archbishop Janan Luwum was murdered in 1977, the anti Iddi Amin UPC dissident exile community had suffered internal split.  A young ambitious and power greedy former UPC Youth Winger and Intelligence Officer Yoweri Museveni had split away from the main UPC/Obote led dissident group and formed his own briefcase armed group, FRONASA.  That was the beginning of the North South divide that still haunts Uganda to this day. 

In a bid to undermine and sabotage the progress of the main pro-Obote group, FRONASA agents deliberately leaked information about the arms that had been smuggled into the country with the aid of the Anglican Church. When the Dr. A. A. Kaliisa confirms that the late Archbishop was involved in anti-government activities, some Ugandans go crazy.   "......The reality he was murdered by Iddi Amin. He was a threat to Amin’s government.  Janan Luwum had connections with rebels who were in Tanzania.  He wanted Obote to return." 

It is suicidal to simply dismiss Dr. Kaliisa's assertion because as a Munyarwanda and a Muslim he must have been a member of the dreaded State Research Bureau the same way he is an agent of the Museveni regime.

Two birds had been killed using one stone; the incident re-awakened the international community's focus on the atrocities of the Iddi Amin regime though much of it was exaggerated for propaganda purposes.  In his book, Sowing the Mustard Seed, Museveni clearly states that the murder of Archbishop Luwum breathed some fresh air in their struggle against the Iddi Amin regime.  At the time, almost all dissident activities had hit a dead end owing to the fact that even their foreign backers had to some extent shunned them courtesy of Iddi Amin's robust diplomatic efforts.

After the overthrow of Iddi Amin in 1979, Museveni pushed his divisive agenda further by launching a sectarian war against northerners to which Janan Luwum belonged.  In 1986 he took over power and it took him 30 years to recognise the contribution of the late Archbishop when in 2015 he decreed that February 16 becomes a public holiday in Luwum’s honour.  In 2015, Museveni was desperately looking for ways of winning over the Acholi people and indeed he did dupe them.  As you may recall, the big national ceremony in Kitgum was followed by another one where Gen. Bazilio Okello's remains were exhumed from Khartoum and accorded a hero's state reburial in Uganda.

It is hypocrisy of the highest order for Museveni to honour the late Archbishop Janan Luwum for his outstanding bravery in standing against the Iddi Amin regime but at the same time he is intimidating some religious leaders who are cautioning his military dictatorship.  He has intimidated, cowed and bribed most Christian religious leaders into dead silence save for just a few.  He is using terrorism charges to silence dissent within the Muslim Community in Uganda.  The Anglican Bishop of Rwenzori Diocese, Reuben Kisembo has consistently been critical of Museveni's life Presidency scheme.  Recently at a public function attended by Museveni, Bishop Kisembo bluntly advised him to relinquish power.  He said;

"......we appeal to you your Excellency to plan for peaceful succession and transfer of power from you to another person for your own good, for the good of your family, for the good of our nation and for the good of East Africa, Africa and the whole world.  Don't deny our country that opportunity."

The visibly angered Museveni immediately retorted thus;

   "Religious leaders have been provoking us and me, it should stop.  I don't want people to lecture me about what to do for Uganda.  A person who wants to lecture me must have qualifications.  There is time for everything, I have come for a fundraising.  There should be a disciplined way of interacting."

    Being an educated military dictator, Museveni may not shoot dead Bishop Kisembo but he will " deal with him".  Watch the space!!!!

INFORMATION IS POWER AND DEFIANTLY "HITTING ON THE HEAD" IS THE WAY TO GO