One of the most discussed topics last week was NTV’s exposure of fake pastors and choreographed ‘miracles’ currently used to exploit the Ugandan poor in the name of God.
In its documentaries titled: ‘Inside the dark world of manipulative and deceitful pastors’, NTV went undercover and exposed ‘pastors’ who use the hallowed platforms in church to steal from the poor under the guise that they can perform miracles.
Sadly, one of the people who confessed to NTV of having been raped by a particular pastor, whom she even went ahead to name, is already behind bars, a move allegedly by the said Pastor.
According to Bart Kakooza, one of the ladies they spoke to has been arrested together with her daughter, who was also allegedly defiled.
“New development. The NTV piece I put together with NTV about fake pastors is negatively gathering dust. The woman who talked to us has been arrested together with her daughter who was defiled by a pastor,” Kakooza broke the sad news.
“Grade 1 magistrate Hope Bagyenda Kajansi, Kitende court ordered for her arrest and detention at Kigo prison. Her daughter was remanded at Naguru remand home. This is very sad. I myself have been verbally attacked by one self-styled pastor who openly confronted me at Serena concierge. It is sad. This woman’s daughter was defiled, made pregnant by pastor Patrick Makumbi, forced to undergo crude abortion which made her womb rot! She almost lost her life! Where is our so called reformed judiciary? Can somebody out there help?” he pleaded.
The documentary that runs for 24 minutes, kicked off with cult leader, Joseph Kibwetere who masterminded the tragic inferno in which 1000 people died on 17 March 2000 in Kanungu, Rukungiri (now Kanungu) District.
The station then delineated Pastor Patrick Makumbi’s court cases of defilement and fraud, which, according to the preacher were blackmail schemes intended to tarnish his reputation.
It also showed a video clip where Pastor Jackson Senyonga is heard telling his flock; ‘if you cannot do anything with Ush10,000 yourself, how can you sow that so that God can give you a house’.
Other preachers investigated included Pastor Samuel Kakande and Miracle Centre Cathedral – Rubaga founding Pastor Robert Kayanja.
When we tried to reach the Police Spokesperson for a comment on the arrest, all our calls went unanswered.
Pastors are believed to be one of the most powerful people in Uganda, and this is not the first time that people with complaints against pastors have ended up in jail.
In 2009, a group of young men; Samson Mukisa, 19 Ivan Akansiima, 22, David Mukalazi, 36, Ronnie Mutebi, 21, Robson Matovu and James Brian Ntwatwa, 24, who alleged that Pastor Kayanja had sodomised them ended up in jail months later.
Police investigated the case and came up with a report that stated that complainants had retracted their statements, confessing that they had been mobilised to make false accusations against Kayanja, in order to tarnish his name. Police proposed to the DPP that all the pastors who mobilised complainants against Kayanja be charged with conspiracy to injure his reputation.
Pastors Ssempa and Male still insist the case was mishandled and that the Police took sides. They said they were ready to meet Kayanja in court. They also petitioned President Yoweri Museveni, requesting him to institute a probe into the manner in which the Police handled the sodomy claims, though such request didn’t bear any fruit. Pastors Ssempa and Male instead ended up serving a sentence over the same charges.
