By Mulengera Reporters
For sometime now, there has been a conspicuous friendship between House of Prayer Ministries International Senior Pastor Aloysius Bugingo and the Umukhuka of Bamasaba, His Royal Highness Jude Mike Mudoma.
His wife is also a pastor with a Church Ministry in Mbale and her evangelization mission is profoundly inspired by the progress Pastor Bugingo has been able to make in the last less than 15 years since the founding of his HPMI church based at Canaan land in Makerere Kikoni.
The Umukhuka late last year led a big delegation to Canaan land where they participated in Sunday prayers led by his host Aloysius Bugingo. Everything went so well, and since Bugingo has a lot of followers in Elgon, it was agreed the two institutions must deepen collaboration.
Bugingo offered to make a reciprocal visit to Umukhuka in Mbale, which happened last December. The Bugingo reciprocal visit coincided with the Xmas Lunga charity celebrations which Bugingo’s church and media Ministry celebrates annually, every December towards Christmas.
It’s about mobilizing charity from church members and Salt media audiences, who sacrifice and part with something of value in order to create happiness and make memorable Christmas festivities in the lives of those who are materially deprived.
It was decided that all the charity mobilised and collected under the year 2025’s Xmas Lunga be dedicated to the flooding victims in Bududa. In the end, groceries and other stuff worth over Shs500m was collected and delivered to the people of Bududa as part of Bugingo’s reciprocal visit to Umukhuka.
It was a big day for both the Umukhuka cultural institution and Bugingo’s church Ministry as smiles were put on the faces of people of Bududa. The collected charity, both in form of real hard things and cash, was delivered by Bugingo’s teams from Kampala on big trucks all the way to Bududa.
BISHOP UNHAPPY:
From the subsequent events, it was clear all this blossoming partnership between Bugingo’s Church and Umukhuka didn’t please the Mbale Anglican Diocesan Bishop, the Rt Rev John Wilson Nandaah, who saw this as diminishing his influence in Elgon area in favour of Bugingo’s Pentecostal brand of evangelism.
The bishop had earlier on tried to protest over the Umukhuka’s visit to Canaan land but the King overlooked him and travelled. Then the Bugingo reciprocal visit also created additional uneasiness and the leadership of Mbale Anglican Diocese offered clandestine protestation.
The Umukhuka thought de-escalation had been achieved and moved on, convinced that the Mbale Bishop too had been convinced that his case made out enough.
However, this very week the bishop put off his gloves and went bare knuckles during a church service. He publicly criticized the Umukhuka, who is supposed to be a practicing protestant, for hobnobbing with Bugingo who isn’t Anglican but Pentecostal.
The bishop disputed the Umukhuka’s sense of judgment and leadership credentials. Members of the congregation were shocked with the belligerence with which the bishop made his point during the well-attended church service; while questioning the wisdom behind Bugingo’s involvement in helping out the people of Bududa.
The truth is that Bugingo’s influence among the Bamasaba households is growing largely because a growing number of people in Elgon districts listen to and follow his Salt media platforms. His annual prayer crusades in Mbale always attract massive crowds, and the mobilisation is always made using his Salt radio and TV.
Knowledgeable sources say that the bishop, who has a soft spot for son of the soil Nandala Mafabi who he believes stands a chance at winning the Thursday 15th January poll, is uncomfortable with Umukhuka’s open support for President Museveni, which Bugingo too has been calling for.
Not one anyone can step upon and get away with it, the Umukhuka who wasn’t present during the Mbale church service, has responded by clarifying that there is nothing wrong with a cultural leader like himself working with everybody and embracing every religious leader in the country regardless of their affiliation.
The Umukhuka says that he was appalled to realize that the bishop didn’t correctly understand the motivation behind his relationship with Bugingo.
He has made it clear that he won’t stop closely associating with Bugingo or any other religious leader in Uganda, whether the Mbale Diocesan Anglican Bishop likes or not.
He says that he is an adult who has a right to do what he chooses and relate with whoever he chooses for as long as they are not conniving to breach any laws of the land. The Umukhuka’s unapologetic response is likely to make the bishop more uncomfortable as opposed to arraying his fears.
He is of the view that the bishop shouldn’t see Bugingo as a competitor but a well-meaning Ugandan spiritual leader who means well for all Ugandans including the more than 3m Bagisus who live and work in Elgon region’s districts, especially through spiritual nourishment and prosperity-oriented evangelisation. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
