Kitgum in final preparation for St Janani Luwum day

Kitgum, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kitgum district is in final preparation to host the 43rd commemoration anniversary for the former Church of Uganda Archbishop, The most Rev Janani Luwum.

This year’s memorial anniversary will be celebrated at Luwum’s ancestral village in Wii-Gweng village in Mucwini sub county, Kitgum district on Sunday, February 16th where his body was buried. The theme for the celebration is “Let us not get tired of doing good” drawn from Galatians 6-9.

Archbishop Luwum was murdered on February 16th 1977 at Nakasero by former Uganda president Idi Amin over his criticism of the former dictator’s excesses.

Jackson Omona, the Kitgum LCV chairperson and also the central organizing committee chairperson for the event says they are ready to host the celebration since most of the basic facilities have been put in place.

He cites that the compounds where guests and Christians will be hosted have been cleared, while places of conveniences have all been set up adding that all required facilities will be ready by Saturday.

He says they are already receiving guests, from Uganda Christian University, Lango and Karamoja regions who will embark on mission work in various parishes in line with Luwum’s mission work.

According to Omona, this year’s memorial is unique in a sense that it begun with component of pilgrimage were more than 70 Christians embarked on a journey to trace the finals steps of archbishop luwum from Kampala.

The pilgrims who walked for more than 450 kilometres out of the 510 km arrived in Kitgum on Wednesday ahead of their final destination to Luwum’s burial ground in Wii-Gweng village in Mucwini sub county.

Omona says they expect Christians from Burundi, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of Congo, the former Anglican ecclesiastical province once headed by Luwum and thousands others from different parts of the world for this year’s memorial.

Kitgum Diocese Bishop Rt Rev Wilson Kitara says several bishops from church of Uganda led by the main celebrant the most Rt Rev Stanley Ntagali who is the outgoing Anglican archbishop will attend the celebration. The main preacher is expected to be the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda elect, Rt Rev. Dr Stephen Samuel Kaziimba.

The Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema told urn yesterday afternoon that security at Wii-Gweng will be beefed ahead of the Sunday memorial prayers.

“We are all set to provide maximum security at the venue, security personnel comprising the army, police and other sister security agencies will be deployed in the area today to man the entire area,” he says.

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URN

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