Christianity in Uganda has been hit
by anti-gay propaganda which has led to
divisions amongst followers as many Christians in the country express
surprise at the increasing number of religious leaders using homosexual
allegations to discredit their fellow pastors.
Some priests and pastors have waged wars against their counterparts
claiming that they are gays and not fit to be church leaders.
The most
hit are Catholic, Pentecostal and Evangelical church leaders.
"There is a group of priests who claim to be anti-gays
and they have ended up alleging that some priests are gays. They have
named the priests and called on members of the public to shun them" says
retired Angalican bishop, Amos Okello.
He believes that those who
accuse others of being gays do not have substantial evidence to
incriminate them.
Not only religious entities have sounded alarm bells
over the accusations.
"There seems to be malice among those priests and
pastors who accuse others that thy are gays. We have received reports
that some malicious pastors frame cases of homosexuality against their
fellow pastors who are more wealthy and popular than them. They are
simply enviuos," Dan Mbasa, a police officer who has been handling cases
of homosexuality noted.
The homosexual accusations at the core of religious
circles in the East African nation have contributed to divisions within
the Christian community.
Whilst some Ugandans have shown support for
anti-gay priests, others have openly vowed support for the alleged gay
priests or pastors.
One of the priests accused of being gay is pastor Robert
Kayanja of Namirembe Miracle centre in Kampala. He is one of the most
successful
pastors in the country.
"I am sure he is hated by fellow pastors because he is with a big
following and one of the best churches in the country," says Nelly Ajambo, one of his followers.
A court hearing was held on February 2nd, 2011,
following a defamation law suit brought against his accusers by pastor
Robert Kayanja.
During the court session, prosecution alleged that the
priests namely Solomon Male, Michael Kyazze, Robert Kayiraand, David
Mukalazi, and others still at large, "conspired to cause injury to
personality and reputation of pastor Kayanja alleging that he was
engaged in homosexuality".
During the hearing of the case, the courtroom was fully
packed with Christians supporting the two groups, according to Jane
Namba, a court clerk.
Fist fights
After the magistrate handling the case adjourned the hearing of the case to
February 16th 2011, the two groups walked out and started exchanging blows a few meters away from the court premises.
"We came in to stop the fight of Christians from the
two camps. One of
the groups fighting claimed that their priests were being framed by
malicious priests. The others supported the ones who pointed out the
priests they claim to be gays."
Some Christians are buffled by the wars between pastors.
"I am confused by the stories saying that some of our priests are
gays", said 59 year old Simon Kasumali, a catechist in St Andrew church
in eastern Uganda. "It is difficult to confirm whether the accusations
are true. I personally do not believe in them. Our priests are being
framed" he added.
But 45 yr old businessman, Andrew Nyeko thinks
otherwise.
He said: "I am not surprised about the accusations. Some of
the churches in the country
are managed by money hungry and amoral people. They can do anything
evil."
Anti-homosexual group
One of the organizations claiming to be fighting against alleged gay religious leaders is the National Coalition against Homosexuality and Sex Abuse in Uganda.
It is led by reverend Solomon Male who is also head a group of priests under an umbrella organization called Arising for Christ.
Male is among the 5 priests sued by pastor Kayanja.
While in court one of the accused, pastor Martin Ssempa,
a notorious anti-gay campaigner stood in the dock in his cassock.
After
the adjournment of court the accused priests sung rhymes outside the
court where Male told the press that "the police is against us. It has
changed statements of the witnesses. It seems they are paid money by the
gay priests so that they suffocate the cases ..."
Nonetheless, Male said that they believe they will win
the case and denied allegations that they are against Kayanja and the
other alleged gay priests
because they are wealthy.
"We are not malicious. We want a moral
transformation in the church. We are out to defend young men sodomized
by the gay priests" he said.
Witch-hunt
But Pastor Kayanja who took the priests to court for
defamation insists that the priests are malicious and behaving in
unChristian manner.
He said that some priests and Christians are using
homosexuality to witch-hunt those they regard as either their rivals or
enemies.
On the cause of accusations Kayanja said, "I think the
agenda is big. Someone is using them for his own interest. What they did
to me is an extreme way of being anti-person."
Kayanja believes that the five priests could be
sponsored by people who
want to bring him down.
"They have used a lot of money to fight me and
my friends. They are likely to be connected to the anti-gay American
priests who visited Uganda a few years ago. The Americans could be among
those sponsoring them."
Kayanja, whose church is one of the biggest in Kampala
with modern furniture, music equipment and public address system is
regarded by most Ugandans as being among the wealthiest priests in the
country.
He denied being gay. "I have never been a homosexual, and I will never be
one."
"Homosexuality allegations are being used to witch-hunt me by my rivals."
Lying to court
The events in court turned dramatic when the young men
who at first were
paraded by anti gay priests as their key witnesses turned against them
and told court that they were paid to lie to court and the public."
During the court session Robinson Matovu, 29, told court
that he framed pastor Kayanja because he wanted money promised to him
by the anti-gay
priests led by Solomon Male who gave him a false identity to accuse
Pastor Kayanja of sodomy.
Robinson Matovu told court that Male named him Samson
Mukisa and instructed him to fabricate a story that Kayanja sodomized
him.
"They told me that they would pay me 56 million shillings,
(equivalent of 24,300 US dollars) if I said Kayanja sodomized me", he
said.
Second witness, Robert Musazi also told court that Male
instructed him to accuse Kayanja of sodomy and made him sign a false
affidavit incriminating Kayanaja.
Before suing the priests, several other priests of all
denominations had been incriminated of being gays in different parts of
the country.
Some religious leaders in Uganda say they are worried
about the big numbers of Christians turning gay and turning their backs
to the church.
Anglican bishop, Elly Ruzinda, on his part has decried
homosexuality for tearing apart Christianity in the country and causing
decline in the number of believers.
"The fact that there are some Christians in the country
being converted to homosexuality definitely affects our churches. There
is a decline in numbers of Christians and even the quality of
Christianity is affected," Bishop Ruzinda said during an interview.
Conversely, Right Reverend Stacy Saul, from the US, has
been quoted as saying that the “Bible does not touch on homosexuality
nearly as much as we think it does”, whilst Davis Mac-Iyalla, a Nigerian
living in the UK, believes that too many African Christians focus
entirely on condemning homosexual practice and ignore their
commitment...
The subject of homosexuality has become a highly
political topic in Uganda.
After several months of political debates on
an anti-gay bill that touted the death penalty for homosexuality, pastor
Ssempa, one of the accused, showed a video to over 100 Christians in a
church in Kampala in an attempt to garner more public support for his
anti-gay movement.
But his attempt was condemned when a cross section of
Christians in Uganda protested against the showing of pornography in
churches.