Stop leaving Church land idle –Bishop tells priests

The Bishop of Mukono Diocese, Rt Rev Enos Kitto Kagodo, has advised church leaders to utilise the available land for agriculture as a measure to guard it against encroachers.
Bishop Kagodo said in his diocese, they have embraced the growing of coffee in all village churches that still have large chunks of land.
“I want to urge all churches in Mukono and other dioceses to embrace the growing of coffee on all church land that is still idle. We agreed as a diocese that this is one of the practical ways to guard our land against the grabbers,” Bishop Kagodo said while delivering his Easter message at St Phillips and Andrews Cathedral in Mukono Town on Wednesday.
Over the years, encroachers have settled on Church land across the country and in some instances there have been fist fights between the encroachers and church leaders.
Recently, residents settling on church land at Nakanyonyi Village in Nakifuma-Naggalama Town Council and Kisowera in Nama Sub County, Mukono District attacked church leaders and some got injured in the scuffle that caused unnecessary tension in the community.
Bishop Kagodo also used the same press conference to ask government to implement the resolutions that have been agreed upon in different meetings like beefing up security on all Church owned pieces of land to avoid breach of peace.
“We want the government to boost security on the disputed land as agreed upon in several meetings with government officials. Secondly, the encroachers should keep calm and follow the lawful procedures put in place to enable them register with us to avoid new settlers  as we handle the current  squatters,” he said.
The prelate further expressed fear over the infiltration of the homosexuals into sensitive groups like the youth especially in schools.
“I want to plead with the President of Uganda, to append his signature on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023 to guard the future of this country and the young generation from such evil activities,” he said.
On March 20 Parliament passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023, with a last-minute introduction of death as penalty for the offenders convicted of aggravated homosexuality.
Any Ugandan who fails to report acts of homosexuality faces a fine of Shs100m or imprisonment for six months. However, a person who intentionally makes false or misleading allegations against another person to the effect that the person has committed an offence under this Act faces a year in prison.
The Act, which awaits Presidential assent, also bans a person convicted of the offence of homosexuality or aggravated homosexuality from employment in a child care institution, while ex-convicts of the said offences will have to disclose such record to prospective employers.