Your Grace, the Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu,
I write to you as a faithful and committed member of the Church of Uganda, compelled by the memory of Archbishop Janan Luwum and the urgent need to uphold his legacy beyond mere commemoration.
Janan Luwum was not killed because he simply preached salvation—he was killed because he confronted injustice. He did not only call people to Christ; he called out the abuse of state power. He dared to tell the leadership of his time that governance must be rooted in justice, fairness, and respect for human dignity.
Your Grace, the Church today faces the same test. If a man is imprisoned without due process, if his freedoms are restricted not by conviction but by mere suspicion, if his dignity is trampled upon because he dares to challenge power—should the Church remain silent? Should we reduce Luwum’s message to an altar call, or should we embrace his full legacy by standing for justice as he did?
Silence in the face of oppression is complicity. The Church is called to be the voice of the voiceless, the defender of the weak, and the conscience of the nation. If the Church fails to speak when injustice is committed under its watch, then what distinguishes it from the institutions that enable such oppression?
Janan Luwum’s courage was not rooted in political interests or personal gain—it was rooted in the truth. He did not wait for confirmation from official sources before speaking out against the imprisonments, disappearances, and executions under Amin. He knew that the gospel he preached demanded that he also stand against injustice.
If Luwum were alive today, would he not still call for fairness, for justice, for a leadership that serves rather than rules? Would he not challenge the indifference of those who choose comfort over courage?
The question before us is simple: Has the Church of Uganda become comfortable in its silence? If so, then have we truly honored Janan Luwum? Have we kept his fire burning, or have we allowed it to be tamed by fear?
Your Grace, you know me well. You know that I do not write for controversy, but for conviction. The Church must remain the moral compass of this nation. It must remind those in power that their authority is temporary, but truth and justice endure forever.
I pray that God grants you wisdom and courage as you lead the Church in standing firmly for righteousness—just as Archbishop Janan Luwum did.
Yours in Christ,
CPA Frederick Wanume Kibbedi
(Member, Church of Uganda)
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