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Remembering the life of martyr Janani Luwum
Archbishop Janani Luwum will be remembered on February 16, the day when he was killed by the Amin government. FILE PHOTO.
What you need to know:
- Looking back. About two years ago, President Museveni declared February 16 a public holiday in honour of former Church of Uganda Archbishop who was killed during Amin’s reign on February 16, 1977. As the day draws closer, we look at the life of the martyr through a book Archbishop Janani Luwum: the life and witness of a 20th century martyr written by former UN Under-Secretary General and UPC stalwart, Olara Otunnu. Faustin Mugabe reviewed the book.
Forty six years ago, today, Uganda and the world was mourning and in darkness.
The then Archbishop of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga-Zaire (eastern provision of now DR Congo) had been murdered by the State.
Uganda is known as the Land of the Martyrs, besides being the Pearl of Africa. When the first Uganda Martyrs were murdered between 1880 and 1887, their executioners thought that by doing so, they would silence the voice of Christ and the spread of Christianity and its values would die immediately thereafter. Instead the opposite occurred.
For, exactly 90 years later after the murder of the last martyr of the first batch of the martyrs, Jean Marie Muzeeyi on January 27, 1887, a prominent Ugandan and charismatic Christian was martyred.
Archbishop Janani Luwum of Church of Uganda was on February 16, 1977 martyred in Kampala by regime of President Idi Amin’s regime.
Many authors excluding former Henry Kyemba who at the time was the minister of health, was among the people who last saw Luwum alive and being whisked away at now Serena Conference by soldiers having been publicly accused of attempting to overthrow the government by force of arms before Amin.
Other narratives, especially from clergies, local and foreign dignitaries, accuse Amin of personally executing Archbishop Luwum, and later staging a fake accident claiming to have killed Luwum and two other ministers, Erinayo Oryem and Oboth OfumbiTernan Avenue around Nakasero hill.
Malyamungu shot Luwum dead
Nonetheless, on August 10, 1988, former vice president of Uganda, Maj Gen Mustafa Adrisi while appearing before the Commission of Inquiry into the violation of human rights in Uganda between October 9, 1962 and January 25, 1986 instituted by the NRM government, testified that it was Maj Moses Okello aka Safi and brigadier Isaac Malyamungu who killed the Archbishop.
On whether the two killed Luwum on the orders of their commander-in-chief, Amin, Adrisi could not tell although he was certain Safi and Malyamungu murdered Luwum. The two shot Luwum dead on the day he was arrested.
This was recorded by the New Vision of August 12, 1988. Maj Safi was one of Amin’s bodyguards and hailed from Arua District in the West-Nile sub-region.
Why didn’t Luwum go to exile?
If you believe in what is right, in one way or the other you pay the price and often a heavy price at that.
Archbishop Luwum was prepared for exactly that. Because, if he feared death, he would have ran into exile like many Ugandans did during Amin’s regime.
So what prevented him from running away from death? In his book, Archbishop Janani Luwum: the life and witness of a 20th century martyr, former UN Under-Secretary General and UPC’s stalwart, Olara Otunnu on page 42 writes: “St Janani was very committed to his prophetic mission as a spiritual and religious leader – to defend the people, to expose evil, to call for justice and human rights. In those most trying times, he chose the path of ‘speaking the truth to power’.
He continued to proclaim the gospel with conviction and clarity. He prayed for Idi Amin, while calling on the regime to change its ways. He became a powerful voice of prayer and hope for a people and a country in agony”.
About a week before Luwum was martyred, he had met president Amin at State House in Entebbe in presence of minister for health Henry Kyemba, Otunnu wrote.
He quotes the Archbishop’s words to prisoners while in detention at the State Research Bureau.
“I think I was marked to be killed on Monday [February 14, 1977] at Entebbe. In case God helps any of you get out of here, Henry Kyemba knows all about what took place at Entebbe,” Luwum is quoted to have told fellow in-mates.
After the meeting with Amin, it became obvious after the Archbishop had been taunted by the president that death was getting closer and closer to the clergy.
Attempts were made to evacuate Luwum to exile but he could not heed to that call. He was determined to die rather than run to exile.
Otunnu further wrote on page 48 that: “The situation was turning very ugly and ominous by the passing day. Embassies, churches, relatives and friends offered to safely take the Archbishop out of the country. They implored him to leave.
He understood their concern and thanked them, but would repeat the firm conviction: ‘if I, the shepherd, flee, what will happen to the sheep?’ He had all the opportunities to leave but decided to stay”.
And he was murdered
A Luwum statue has since been erected at great West Door of Westminster Abbey in London.
Luwum is survived by his widow, Mama Mary Luwum and seven children. February 16, will climax the celebrations to remember forty years since Luwum was murdered.
Profile
Background: Luwum was born in the village of Mucwini in the Kitgum District to Acholi parents.
Education: He attended Gulu High School and Boroboro Teacher Training College, after which he taught at a primary school. Luwum converted to Christianity in 1948, and in 1949 he went to Buwalasi Theological College.
Work: In 1950 he was attached to St. Philip’s Church in Gulu, before he was ordained a deacon in 1953, and the following year he was ordained a priest. He served in the Upper Nile Diocese of Uganda and later in the Diocese of Mbale. In 1969 he was consecrated Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda in Gulu. After five years he was appointed Archbishop of the Metropolitan Province of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Boga (in Zaire), becoming the second African to hold this position.
Olara Otunnu’s book
I n his book: Archbishop Janani Luwum: the life and witness of a 20th century martyr, UPC’s Olara Otunnu highlights how Janani was committed to his prophetic mission as a spiritual and religious leader who wanted to defend the people, to expose evil as well as calling for justice and human rights.
He says that despite local and international appeal, Janani refused to leave the country, saying it could have been a bad example of him - who had a certain status in the public - to runaway from tyranny.
Otunnu further writes that Luwum had during imprisonment under agents of State Research Bureau, told fellow prisoners that he expected to be killed. .
