The Right Reverend Francis Aquirinus Kibira, the Ordinary of the Diocese of Kasese, has called upon the government to involve the Church fully in the plans for reconciliation and peace restoration following the recent attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on a school in Kasese district. Speaking after presiding over the Homily Mass for the newly ordained priests and deacons at St. John’s Minor Seminary-Kiburara, Bishop Kibira emphasized that the incident at Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Secondary School had not only affected the government but also the entire country and the Church.
The Bishop expressed the readiness of the Church to provide guidance and comfort to the affected communities if it is given a significant role in similar initiatives. Bishop Kibira urged Christians to put their faith into action and encouraged families to build their strength on three pillars: prayer, planning, and unity as children of God, in order to overcome the influence of evil forces.
The State Minister for National Guidance, Honorable Godfrey Kabyanga, reiterated his earlier call to eliminate ADF collaborators operating within Uganda while the Ugandan People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) deals with remnants of the group in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He revealed that security forces were investigating reports that some men involved in subversive activities in the DRC had wives in Uganda who were bearing children with ADF insurgents. According to the Minister, the ADF does not operate where they do not have local collaborators.
Honorable Kabyanga launched a medical fund initiative for the priests, contributing three million Ugandan shillings in cash and pledging five million shillings annually until 2026. He described the project as a divinely inspired endeavor that would protect and enable the Church’s servants to spread the holy word of Christ among His people. Additionally, Honorable Godfrey Katusabe pledged five hundred thousand shillings from his monthly salary towards supporting the diocese, joining other donors who made similar commitments.
The ordination of Reverend Father Modesto Bwambale and Father Lotti Maate brings the total number of diocesan priests in the Diocese of Kasese to seventy-four.
