KAMPALA, UGANDA – A concerned citizen, Franets Ojok, has written a scathing open letter to Archbishop Paul Semogerere, criticizing the Catholic Church’s silence on corruption in Uganda.
“The voice of the Catholic Church must become louder in condemning this vice which has crippled our nation in many sectors,” Ojok wrote. “Every day, we wake up to a new corruption scandal involving billions of shillings which should be helping Ugandans out of so much suffering.”
Ojok’s letter specifically references the recent scandal in which four Commissioners of Parliament, including former Leader of Opposition, Hon. Mathias Mpuuga, allocated themselves a total of UGX 1.7Bn in public funds. “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 tax payers,” Ojok lamented.
The citizen’s letter also raises questions about the Church’s credibility in fighting corruption. “Is it because the person at the centre of this scandal is a Muganda just like the Archbishop? If this scandal involved someone from Northern Uganda, would the Church be this silent? Does the Catholic Church in Uganda only find corruption wrong when the persons involved are from other tribes?” Ojok questioned.
Ojok appeals to the Archbishop to exercise his apostolic authority to prevail on all Catholic Priests not to participate in the “thanksgiving mass” for Mpuuga, unless he repents and seeks forgiveness. “My appeal to Your Grace is that you exercise your apostolic authority to prevail on all Catholic Priests not to participate in this scandal and if they are to do so, it should be preceded by a commitment from Mr. Mpuuga to repent and seek forgiveness before God and Ugandans whose money he stole,” Ojok wrote.
The letter has sparked a heated debate on the role of the Church in promoting accountability and transparency in Uganda. The Church’s response remains eagerly awaited as the country grapples with the pervasive issue of corruption.
