By Wafula Malik
PDP leader Dr Abed Bwanika, who is also a Pentecostal Pastor, has opened war on his former ally Ps Aloysius Bugingo of the House of Prayers Ministries Church International (HPMI). Speaking on CBS Parliament Yamwe program this Saturday morning, Bwanika said it was betrayal to Jesus Christ’ Ministry for Bugingo to side with the state whose SFC operatives are alleged to have tortured MPs in Arua including Bobi Wine and the hospitalized Francis Zzake of Mityana Municipality. On being prompted by moderator Med Nsereko, Bwanika said: “Ha that one I think we are going to petition his [spiritual] father Ps Serwadda because you can’t continue misrepresenting the Pentecostal churches like that at a time when everybody is angry at the way Bobi Wine and Zzake were tortured.” Bwanika said it was shameful that big name Pentecostal pastors like Bugingo had openly sided with the state at a time when other clerics were actively bashing the state and calling for an end to torture acts. He said Christ and Old Testament prophets, from whom claim to derive inspiration, boldly spoke against injustice and never allied with leaders and kings that mistreated people. He said the city pastors must emulate those Old Testament prophet. “We are motivated with the way the leaders of the main stream religious denominations, including Ps Joseph Serwadda and other IRCU members, have been outspoken against torture by this government. It’s our prayer that they continue to do so and even begin denouncing Museveni openly without any fear. It’s something the whole country must emulate and commend them for. The problem now is in my group the Pentecostals notwithstanding the bold steps Ps Serwadda has taken so far,” Bwanika said. Ironically, for some time (as recent as 3 years ago) Bwanika closely worked with Bugingo at Bat Valley where they used to work together against false pastors whom they accused of hiding behind ministry work to extort money from the poor desperate people. But for unclear reasons, they parted ways and Bwanika stopped being a guest preacher at Bugingo’s church. Bugingo, whose HPMI has a lot of people because of his charismatic way of preaching, then concentrated on working with other Pastors like Ps Serwadda of Kasai and Kayizi who are some of the most popular ministers in the HPMI congregation. Bwanika now says Bugingo is a very complicated Pastor and in order to change him, he (Bwanika) and others will have to go through Serwadda. Not one to fear controversy, Bugingo is an unrepentant Museveni supporter who has no problem openly praising the NRM government for the peace he says it restored. He is said to recently have condemned Bobi Wine and other MPs for behaving in a manner that threatens the peace Museveni fought so hard to introduce in Uganda.
