President Museveni Joins Demolished St Peter’s War, Promises To build A New Church

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has this morning toured the demolished St Peter’s Church in Ndeeba and branded the culprits ‘unscrupulous’.

President Museveni said he has joined the war, promising that the the Church will retain this land and will build a new church.

The church was demolished Sunday night under the supervision of Policemen who were later arrested by State House Anti Corruption team.

The demolition comes on the backdrop of a June 6, 2019 ruling by High Court judge Eudes Keitirima, who said Church of Uganda trustees fraudulently acquired the land where the church sits.

He directed the cancellation of the title that had been in the names of Bishop Dunstan Nsubuga, Rev Y.S Kitaka and one E Kitaka who were trustees of Namirembe Diocese on the land.

The court also ruled that the names of the three trustees were also fraudulently entered onto a special title.
Court said there was no evidence showing that Nsubuga and Rev Kitaka had ever owned St Peter’s church land.

Read President Museveni’s promise below:

On my way to work this morning, I passed by the site of St Peter’s Church in Ndeeba that was recently demolished by unscrupulous people.

I am saddened by this incident and I give the church assurances that those complicit will be punished. Even if the church was in the wrong, ordering demolition was extreme. Dialogue would have resolved this matter.

Judges should have limits and understand public interest. Demolishing a church is a curse. Also, ignore reports of those claiming the government demolished the church.

I am going to invite the Namirembe Diocese Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira, and engage with all parties involved in this conflict to find a lasting solution.

The bottom line is that the Church will retain this land and we shall build a new church. I have now joined this war.

I also noticed large groups of people gathering in Ndeeba as I inspected the site. This is wrong. Avoid crowding in light of the Covid-19 pandemic that we are grappling with.