By Aggrey Baba
An old proverb says “A gift is only as good as the hands that give it.” But what happens when the hands are not trusted? That was the question at St. Peter’s Cathedral Nyakatare in Kanungu District, where a dramatic scene unfolded in 2019, as Church rejected gifts from their area leaders, Kinkiizi East MP, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, and Kanungu Woman MP, Elizabeth Karungi.
The two leaders arrived at the church prepared to congratulate newly ordained deacons, bearing gifts as a token of goodwill. However, to their surprise, the church members refused to accept them.
Instead of receiving the usual warm welcome, they faced rejection, their gifts passed on through other means rather than being handed over directly.
The embarrassment did not stop there. Even Bishop Emeritus John Ntegyereize, a longtime church figure, was denied his usual front-row seat and asked to sit among the congregation.
Reportedly, this was not the first time Christians in Kanungu had turned their backs on Dr. Baryomunsi. In 2010, believers at Kayungwe Church of Uganda allegedly rejected his offertory, following reports that he had claimed to be the sole force behind development projects in Kinkiizi Diocese. His words had left a bitter taste, and the church leaders decided they would no longer accept his offerings.
When asked about the issue, then-Bishop Ntegyereize reportedly stood firm: “We shall not accept his offerings anymore since he is going around saying he is the one who has put up several projects in the diocese. I challenge him to name any so that the people can believe in him.” Even a financial contribution that Baryomunsi had reportedly made to the bishop was returned.
The rejection of Baryomunsi and Karungi’s gifts spoke to a deeper mistrust between them and the church community.
Whether the issue is politics or broken relationships, one thing remains clear, that respect and trust cannot be bought, not even with the most generous of gifts. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
