Church of Uganda Archbishop Stephen Samuel Kaziimba has described as barbaric, the act of demolishing St. Peter’s Church in Ndeeba, a Kampala suburb.
Shock on Monday morning gripped Christian faithfuls of Ndeeba after St. Peter’s Church of Uganda was razed down under the cover of darkness following a longstanding wrangle between the church leadership and a businessman.
Commenting about the demolition, the Archbishop said the demolition was a sinister act of Satan that needs to be condemned by every right thinking member of the society.
“On behalf of the House of Bishops and all Christians of the Church of Uganda, we express our sincere condolences to the Bishop and people of Namirembe Diocese, and especially those of St. Peter’s Church, Ndeeba, on the destruction of their treasured building and House of Worship. We are grateful that our grandmother, who donated the land for the church, is not alive to see the destruction that has been done to the sacred place she gave as a gift to God,” Kaziimba said.
“This barbaric act of destruction is evil. If an action can’t be done in broad daylight, then there is something deeply wrong; we have lost respect for God.”
On Monday, three senior police officers including the Katwe Division Police Commander David Epedu, Ndeeba Police Station OC, Mugira Yeko Kato, and FFU Commander in charge of Kampala Metropolitan South region, Kaloli Isabirye were arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption unit over negligent of duty.
The Archbishop joined other members of the public to condemn police for aiding the culprits while demolishing the temple of God, saying that squatters have rights on land they have occupied for more than 10 years.
Kaziimba argued that the law enforcers who ought to have given protection to the 40- year – old church building should be condemned in equal measures with those behind the demolition for playing an equally important role in the barbaric act.
“This destruction of the house of God took place in the darkness of night during a curfew; and, the security forces, who are supposed to uphold the law and guard against destroyers, were allegedly complicit in the destruction of a House of God,”Kaziimba said.
The Church of Uganda Archbishop called for what he termed as a serious and impartial inquiry into the demolition of the house of God so that culprits are brought to book.
“We stand in solidarity with the Bishop, Namirembe Diocese, and especially the Christians of St. Peter’s Church. Especially during this time of a global pandemic, the church is needed now more than ever. We assure you of our prayers for a peaceful and just resolution to this tragic situation. We call for a serious and impartial inquiry into this matter.”