A concerned Catholic and teacher in Gulu Archdiocese, Francis Ojok, has written a letter to His Grace Paul Ssemogerere, the Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese, urging him to halt Catholic priests from celebrating a mass scheduled for June 21, 2024, in honor of Mathias Mpuuga, the former Leader of Opposition. In a letter dated June 10, Ojok argues that the event, billed as a “thanksgiving mass,” is a ploy to sanitize Mpuuga’s alleged corruption scandals.
In his letter, Ojok quotes Pope Francis, who implores Catholics worldwide to “fight the scourge of corruption, abuse of power, and illegality.” “You too, Your Grace, have always spoken out against corruption and injustice. I am writing to express my deepest concern regarding the widespread corruption in Uganda, given that the Catholic Church is one of the few remaining moral voices in our country,” reads the letter in part.
Mpuuga and three other NRM Commissioners are accused of allocating themselves Shs1.7 billion as a ‘Service Award.’ The former Leader of Opposition reportedly received Shs500 million, while the other commissioners – Solomon Silwany (Bukooli Central), Esther Afoyochan (Zombo Woman), and Prossy Mbabazi (Rubanda Woman) – received Shs400 million each. The meeting in which this money was allocated and approved was chaired by Speaker Anita Among.
The scandal has dominated headlines for the last two months and also attracted a censure motion in Parliament, with many describing it as an act of corruption and abuse of office. In his letter to the Archbishop, Ojok says, “Your Grace, one of the persons at the center of this scandal is the former Leader of Opposition, Hon. Mathias Mpuuga, who allocated himself half a billion shillings (Shs500M) in that bonanza. This money could have been used to refurbish Masaka Regional Referral Hospital or any other health facility for that matter. Instead of the Leader of Opposition raising such issues in Parliament, Hon. Mpuuga decided to enrich himself at the expense of poor taxpayers.”
Amidst this scandal, Ojok wonders why the Catholic Church should preside over the upcoming ‘thanksgiving mass’ for Mpuuga, an event he claims will be like sanitizing the corruption scandal. “The chairperson of the organizing committee, ‘Pastor’ Abed Bwanika informed the nation that the Catholic Church would preside over that mass. As a Catholic, I am concerned that such an act would drag the church into the center of this scandal and compromise its position as a moral voice in our society,” says Ojok in his letter.
He adds, “While the church has a duty to shepherd all the flock, it also has a duty to stand up for morality and uprightness, and for the church to provide leadership on these fronts, it must not be used as a hiding place for the corrupt.” He urged the Archbishop not only to announce the cancellation of the event but also ask Mpuuga to repent and seek forgiveness before God and Ugandans whose money he stole.
“The Catholic Church risks losing its credibility as a voice of morality if it is seen to condone corruption and give cover to persons seeking to sanitize themselves after stealing from the poor,” he says.
