President Yoweri Museveni has today visited the site of demolished St Peter's Church in Ndeeba, a Kampala city suburb.
The President promised to meet the Namirembe Diocese Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Wilberforce Luwalira, and engage all parties involved in the conflict to reach a lasting solution.
Shock gripped Christians when they woke up to the site of a St. Peter's Church that was razed down by the court bailiffs in the dead of night.
The demolition of St Peter’s Church raised a firestorm that has led to the arrest and detention of several police officers and a dozen accomplices.
On June 6, 2019, a ruling by High Court judge Eudes Keitirima faulted Church of Uganda trustees for fraudulently acquiring the land where the church sits.
The judge directed the abolition of the land title that was in the names of Bishop Dunstan Nsubuga, Rev Y.S Kitaka and one Kitaka who were trustees of Namirembe Diocese on the land.
The court also ruled that the names of the three trustees were also fraudulently entered onto a special title and there was no evidence showing that Nsubuga and Rev Kitaka had ever owned St Peter’s church land.
Following the court ruling, the 40-year-old church was on Sunday night demolished. The land also housed a garage and a school.
Today, President Yoweri Museveni passed by the ghostly site of St. Peter's Church and promised to bring matters to good reason.
"This incident saddens me, and I give the church assurances that those complicit will be punished. Even if the church was in the wrong, ordering demolition was extreme. Dialogue would have resolved this matter." he posted.
Judges should have limits and understand public interest. Demolishing a church is a curse. Also, ignore reports of those claiming the government demolished the church.
"The bottom line is that the Church will retain this land and we shall build a new church. I have now joined this war," he sounded on a megaphone to a group of bystanders that had started to gather.
The President then warned the gathering crowd to disperse since Uganda is still grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Large groups of people were seen gathering on tipper lorries and nearby buildings to have a glimpse of the head of state.
St. Peter's Church had been on the disputed land since 1975. In 2007, Nacwa’s children raised concern over the church’s possession of the land.
Initially, the land was registered in the names of Evelyn Nachwa and according to her August 2, 1980, will, her son John Kajoba would take it over.
The church, in its defence before court, acknowledged that Nacwa was the registered owner until March 3, 1981, but the ownership later shifted to Church of Uganda.
The court ruled that there was nothing on the title to show the land belonged to the church.
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