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UGANDA: Anglican Church Suspends Two Priests over Sale of Church Land
By Godfrey Olukya
VOL African correspondent
www.virtueonline.org
September 22, 2021
Two Anglican priests in Uganda have been suspended over selling Church land.
This has come at a time when most of Anglican Church land in the country is being encroached on by people who have often become violent when the Church attempts to remove them from the Church land.
The two suspended Anglican priests have been identified as the Rev. Semei Sebina Sekiziyivu, parish priest at St. Andrews Church in Kiteezi about 10 kms from the country's capital Kampala, and the Archdeacon of Gayaza, the Rev. Herbert Nyanzi Kabanda who was his immediate supervisor. They have been suspended from conducting priestly duties pending investigations.
The priest was immediately replaced by the retired Rev. Eriya Kawooya, but the Archdeacon has not yet been replaced.
Acting on behalf of the Namirembe Diocese, Bishop Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira, the Diocese Secretary Rev. Canon Henry Segawa officially announced the priests' suspension.
"It has come to our knowledge that how you have handled church land issues did not follow the procedures of the church. You are hereby directed to step aside in matters of the parish and its land until you are recalled."
The suspension followed complaints by Christians questioning how they handled and allowed the takeover of Church land without due regard to the processes and procedures of the church. The Rev Sekiziyivu was suspended together with the
the head of laity St. Andrews Church Julius Buwembo said that the Rev. Sekiziyivu confronted various people and grabbed the church land in the guise of development. He also reportedly allowed Mary Namuddu to access and develop part of the land without the consent of the Church leadership.
"While using forged documents, Rev. Sekiziyivu, granted a lease to Namuddu and he has been using force on all land matters. At Kayanga Village, we have 50 acres but with squatters and what he did, on the remaining space, he brought people on it," said Buwembo.
According to Buwembo, the Church at Kiteezi is on the verge of losing its compound due to the actions of Sekiziyivu.
Bishop Luwalira said that the Church will investigate the complaints and come up with a report and recommendations.
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