By David Imaa
TORORO
Bukedi Diocese is set to celebrate its silver jubilee of 50 years since its inception in Bukedi albeit amidst upcoming land conflicts with neighboring communities in many parishes.
Speaking to this website in an exclusive interview, Bishop George Egesa Bogere, the Bishop of Bukedi Diocese Church Uganda commended the great leadership that was there before him.
The Bishop says the church has grown to have 115 parishes, 13 archdeaconries and a denary.
The Bishop however decries the mushrooming land wrangles between the community and the Church noting that 60 % of the churches are having land wrangles with the community neighboring them.
“I have however advised all church leaders to focus in surveying all the lands in order to have peace with communities surrounding them.” Bishop Egesa said.
Meanwhile, the leadership of Anglican faith has strongly come out to condemn and defend its land ownership by surveying the church land. The leadership argues that because of increasing cases of land wrangles, the church has decided that for any outstation to get parish, they must prove ownership of land.
Bishop Egesa says he is proud that today the church has acquired many properties such as schools, hospitals and other areas of service urging the Bakedi to stop bad vices which can attract curses from God.
The Bishop said that many Anglican churches were offered ancestral land by deceased elders but currently their great grandchildren are trying to reclaim by force.
He cites a case in Mulanda where Mark Opowo has tried to fight the church over the land it was given time immemorial.
He mentions other areas where the wrangles are rampant as Makina in Busia district, Nagongera in Tororo and Malaba among many others.
Bishop Egesa called upon Christians; Catholics and the Pentecostals of Bukedi to join him celebrate the silver jubilee of Bukedi Diocese Church of Uganda where Bukedi will host the Arch Bishop of the Church of Uganda, His Grace Dr. Kazimba Mugalu and through him he has invited the President of Uganda, Kaguta Yoweri Miseveni.
