Masindi pastor accused of harboring believers
“We cannot wait for disaster to act. We must safeguard our people from similar outcomes,” he stressed.
Masindi: The Masindi District Security Committee has raised alarm over the continued harboring of people at a church in Kijunjubwa Sub-county, citing public health and security concerns.
The church in question, Canaan Nazarene Church located in Kyarutanga village, is led by Pastor Fred Tumusiime, who is accused of accommodating over 150 believers from different parts of the country for extended stays within the church compound.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Masindi Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Darius Nandinda, who also chairs the district security committee, said the congregation has turned the church into a residential area, posing a serious security risk.
“Pastor Tumusiime is harboring people from across the country, some of whom are unknown and could be security threats. In addition, they live in poor sanitary conditions and have to feed themselves without proper facilities,” said Nandinda.
He added that some of the people residing at the church are suffering from chronic health conditions, including heart complications, cancer, and diabetes, yet they are not receiving adequate medical care.
“These individuals stay at the church day and night, not working, not seeking medical attention, and are compromising both their welfare and economic productivity,” he emphasized.
As a result, the district security committee has resolved to clear the church compound of all people living there permanently, assist individuals from distant districts to return to their home areas, refer sick individuals to Masindi Hospital for diagnosis and treatment and maintain the church strictly as a place of worship, where congregants attend prayers and then return home.
Nandinda clarified that the district is not targeting the church or Pastor Tumusiime’s faith-based activities, but is enforcing safety standards to prevent potential tragedies.
“We are not against prayers. The church remains open, but it must operate like any other place of worship. People should not abandon their homes and lives to live there,” he stated.
In response, Pastor Tumusiime denied wrongdoing and alleged that the crackdown is linked to a land conflict involving a neighboring investor.
“We’ve been on this land since 2005, given to us by the Kingdom. But ever since the investor came into the picture, the RDC has tried to evict us,” Tumusiime claimed.
He further alleged that security forces have been deployed to intimidate church members and that a church-run school on the premises was demolished by local authorities.
Tumusiime insists the believers have nowhere else to go, appealing to the government to intervene humanely.
RDC Nandinda dismissed claims of forceful eviction or harassment. “We don’t have the mandate to evict or demolish anyone’s property without a court order. What we’re doing is a health and security clean-up to protect lives,” Nandinda said.
He warned that allowing people to reside indefinitely in unregulated religious settings could lead to dangerous cult-like situations, referring to the Kanungu massacre of 2000, where over 700 people died in a religious cult tragedy.
“We cannot wait for disaster to act. We must safeguard our people from similar outcomes,” he stressed.
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