Bishop Jjumba condemns police action during mass.

By; Jjunju Francis

19^th Oct. 2020

The Bishop of Masaka diocese Rt. Rev. Serverus Jjumba has condemned police for firing teargas in a clan event that started with Mass on Saturday October 17, 2020.

Police in Mityana District Saturday used teargas to disperse members of Buganda Kingdom’s Mbogo Clan who had convened at their ancestral site at Mugulu – Ziggoti Town Council to attend a thanks giving prayer for their leader,  Gajuule Kayiira Kasibante.

Kasibante served as head of Buganda’s 52 clans for seven years until recently when the Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II replaced him with Omutaka Namwama Augustine Nsereko .

The event started with Mass led by Bishop Emeritus of Masaka Diocese Rt. Rev. John Baptist Kaggwa started well but in the middle police stormed the place and told them to hurry the mass and finish it within 30 minutes.

At the time many other officials were still arriving and police blocked them in the process their number increased as they demanded to enter since they had met all the security requirements and police responded by firing teargas which spread to the area where mass was about to end disrupting it and their entire event.

It is said the police anticipated that the occasion was to be attended by the National Unity platform and People Power leader Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi a.k.a Bobi Wine that is why they stormed the event.

Bishop Jjumba says during the time of turmoil some priests were taken from the alter and killed over allegations of supporting those who were not in the government.

Later on Rachael Kawala, the Wamala regional police spokesperson, said the police actions were to prevent a big gathering in a bid to stop further spread of Coronavirus. Adding that they did not stop the bishop from conducting the mass because they observed the SOPs as guided by the Ministry of Health but they stopped the big crowd of people who were heading to the function.

The Katikiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga also condemned police action.