Prime
Museveni advisor slams clerics for blessing MP Namujju’s thanksgiving ceremony
Lwengo District Woman MP Cissy Namujju addresses a congregation during the thanksgiving ceremony at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Parish in Kyazanga, Lwengo District on August 11, 2024. PHOTO/ GERTRUDE MUTYABA
What you need to know:
- According to Ms Ms Justine Nameere, politicians accused of corruption have a tendency of hiding behind religious, cultural institutions as a shield
The Senior Presidential Advisor in charge of Greater Masaka Affairs, Ms Justine Nameere has slammed clerics from different religious denominations who blessed the thanks giving ceremony of Lwengo District Woman legislator Ms Cissy Namujju who was recently released on bail on charges of budget corruption.
On Sunday, clerics from the Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Muslims and Pentecostal Churches presided over prayers– one organised at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Pari
sh in Kyazanga, Lwengo District and another at her ancestral home in Kabukye Village and prayed to God to help Namujju overcome the ongoing legal battles.
The ceremony was also graced by some politicians, including state minister for Micro Finance Mr Haruna Kasolo, Budaka District Woman legislator Pamela Nasiyo Kamugo and Bukoto West legislator Muhammad Muyanja Ssentaayi.
However, Ms Nameere castigated whoever attended the ceremony, saying they are attempting to “sanitise evil’’ and undermine President Museveni’s efforts to combat corruption.
Rev Fr Gonzaga Nsamba , the parish priest of Busibo Catholic Parish leading Mass during the thanksgiving ceremony on August 11, 2024. PHOTO/ GERTRUDE MUTYABA
‘’ Religious leaders should learn to question those who send them invitations to pray for them. This will help them avoid being trapped by those suspected to be corrupt. What was done in Lwengo over the weekend is extremely toxic in the public eye and mocks the president who declared a fight against corruption,’’ she said in an interview on Monday.
Ms Nameere had earlier asked the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and Police to block the function, arguing that it was unnecessary since the legislator is still under prosecution but her efforts did not yield her desired outcomes.
Namujju and other two legislators –Paul Akamba (Busiki County, Namutumba) and Yusuf Mutembuli (Bunyole East, Butaleja District) were last week granted bail by the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court after spending fifty five days in Luzira Prison .The trio is facing charges of budget corruption. Justice Lawrence Gidudu held that bail should not be denied “just because the state wishes to keep a prisoner in jail without proof of case”.
However, Akamba could not immediately leave prison as he still faces charges of theft of Shs3.4b meant for compensation of Buyaka Growers Co-operative Society Ltd in a separate case.
Ms Justine Nameere
Justice Gidudu informed the court that he would be concluding the case by October 31.
Ms Nameere said it has become a common tendency by individuals accused of mishandling public funds to hide behind cultural or religious institutions and use them as shields against those accusing them of being corrupt.
“This is intended to intimidate and confuse witnesses, mainly those that have strong beliefs in such institutions,” she added
However, Rev. Fr .Gonzaga Nsamba, the parish priest of Busibo Catholic Parish, one of the clerics that led prayers for Ms Namujju, defended their actions, saying the thanksgiving was not organised to sabotage the ongoing prosecution against the female legislator but rather to “pray for a believer who is facing challenges”.
‘’The Church is not entitled to investigate and make judgment against the accused but we pray for whoever has been challenged to get courage to overcome problems, that is what we did, ’’ he said .
