‘Prophet’ Bushara followers await his resurrection

‘Prophet’ James Wazemba addresses mourners during the burial of ‘Prophet’ Wilson Bushara of the World Message Last Warning Church, in Nakaseke District on Monday. PHOTO BY DAN WANDERA.

What you need to know:

James Wazemba, a leader in Wilson Bushara’s church, claims he was taken away by angels and will return soon.

Nakaseke

As hundreds of mourners converged at Bukoto village in Nakaseke District for the burial ceremony of the self-proclaimed prophet, Wilson Bushara, his followers spoke of how they hope their spiritual leader will miraculously rise from the grave.

‘Prophet’ James Wazemba, a co-founder of Bushara’s World Message Last Warning Church, told mourners on Monday that they expect a miracle. Mr Wazemba claimed that ‘Prophet’ Bushara was “not dead but has been taken away by the angels and will soon be back to accomplish the work they began”.

“The prophet is gone but we expect a miraculous rise from the grave because he is not dead,” ‘Prophet’ Wazemba said. He added: “We have faced persecution for the last 18 years but we were able to withstand the harsh environment. The persecution is a lesson to those who tried to destroy us that we are still around and will come out more powerful than we have been.” He said before the end of the year, the West and Arab World would come to Nakaseke “to witness the works of God in this place.”

Bushara drew national attention when he announced that he had a revelation that the world would end in September 1999. He later changed his statement.

Bushara was taken to Kiwoko Hospital last Thursday after his condition deteriorated. He has been fighting High Blood Pressure for a long time since his release from prison in 2002.
Pr Daniel Muhoozi denied claims that the prophet has been leaving a lavish life at the expense of his followers.

Bushara’s followers claimed that government agencies stopped them from establishing a Church at Bukoto when they reportedly persecuted Bushara and his followers in 1998. This was in the aftermath of his claim that the world would end on June 30,1999. Many of his followers sold off their properties, including plots of land in preparation for life in heaven.

Police dispersed the group, which had camped at Bukoto in Wakyato Sub-county on September 18,1999. Bushara faced charges of defilement in 2001 but the cases were later dismissed by a High Court judge due to lack of evidence. Bushara later re-emerged in 2011 at his home in Bokoto where the group reportedly started distributing ‘Last Supper’ invitation cards. Police later stopped the exercise.