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North Kigezi diocese bishop voices concern over rampant corruption
Bishop Onesimus Asiimwe of North Kigezi Diocese delivers a sermon at the installation ceremony of Venerable Dickens Buguma, who was appointed Archdeacon of Nyakisorooza Archdeaconry in Nyakishenyi Sub-county, Rukungiri District on July 21, 2024. PHOTO | RONALD KABANZA
What you need to know:
- In his sermon, Bishop Onesimus lamented the prevalence of societal evils such as corruption, hatred, tribalism, unfairness, human rights abuses, brutality by security forces, selfishness, and domestic violence, despite the large number of Christians and the proliferation of church buildings in the country.
The Bishop of North Kigezi Diocese in Rukungiri district, Rt Rev Onesimus Asiimwe, expressed deep concern over the pervasive corruption in the country, which he described as severely hindering service delivery.
Bishop Asiimwe voiced these sentiments on Sunday during his sermon at the installation ceremony of Venerable Dickens Buguma, the Archdeacon of Nyakisorooza Archdeaconry in Nyikishenyi sub-county, Rukungiri District.
In his sermon, Bishop Onesimus lamented the prevalence of societal evils such as corruption, hatred, tribalism, unfairness, human rights abuses, brutality by security forces, selfishness, and domestic violence, despite the large number of Christians and the proliferation of church buildings in the country.
‘’Corruption is not only in public places and government offices but the entire society is now eaten up with every single service now tagged on unsolicited payments before the service is delivered, ‘’ Bishop Onesimus said.
He continued: "The cancer of corruption has reached its peak in our society. Instead of public servants delivering services as expected, they demand bribes. It's unfortunate that one may not perform their duty for which they are salaried unless they receive something in return. This calls for collective effort to eradicate this vice."
The Bishop also urged Venerable Dickens Buguma to embody servanthood rather than authority, emphasizing that serving God's people is more important than leading them.
Addressing the gathering as the guest of honor, Commissioner General of Prisons, Canon Dr Johnson Byanbasheija, expressed grave concern over the escalating corruption, urging church leaders to pray for the nation.
‘’Its true corruption is killing this country. I have seven MPs in jail on charges of corruption. One of them stole Shs114 billion meant for co-operative unions. This is very shocking and disappointing. Imagine Shs114b, this is a lot of money,’’ Dr Byanbasheija said.
‘’As the Prisons service we are ready and prepared to discipline whoever is brought in our hands on charges of corruption. I want to assure you that I will arrest them without favour. So eat the government's money well knowing that I will arrest you,’’ he added.
Ven. Dickens Buguma, the newly installed Archdeacon of Nyakisorooza Archdeaconry, thanked Bishop Onesimus for gracing his installation ceremony.
"During my tenure, I will focus on preaching the gospel, educating Christians on family development, praying for the needy, and caring for God's people within this Archdeaconry," Ven. Buguma affirmed.
He also called for unity and cooperation among Christians in Nyakisorooza Archdeaconry, emphasizing that teamwork would foster both personal and community development.
