The recent spectacle at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Parish in Kyazanga, where hundreds flocked to celebrate Lwengo District Woman MP Cissy Namujju, reveals the twisted moral decay in Uganda’s political landscape. Namujju, who is entangled in a corruption scandal, was paraded as a martyr, her sins whitewashed by religious and political cronies who conveniently ignore the havoc her actions wreak on the very people they pretend to serve.
What could have been a moment of introspection for Namujju and her supporters turned into a grotesque display of arrogance and impunity. Her thanksgiving ceremony, attended by prominent figures like State Minister for Microfinance Haruna Kasolo and Bukoto West legislator Muhammad Ssentaayi, was nothing short of a mockery to justice and an insult to the suffering Ugandans burdened by the very corruption she embodies.
The shameless glorification of Namujju, who was recently granted bail on charges of budget corruption, underscores a deeply ingrained culture where theft and dishonesty are celebrated if one can hide behind the cloak of political influence and religious piety. The Catholic clergy, who should be moral beacons, instead offered their pulpit to praise a thief, equating her to Jesus Christ. This comparison is not just blasphemous; it is a stark reminder of how religion can be manipulated to absolve the corrupt while the innocent languish in poverty and hopelessness.
Ms. Justine Nameere’s attempt to block this obscene gathering under the ‘Wacha Wewe, Stop Corruption’ campaign was a breath of fresh air, albeit short-lived. Her petition to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and local police fell on deaf ears, further exposing the rotten core of Uganda’s governance, where corruption is not just tolerated but actively protected.
Namujju’s brazen remarks, thanking God for her “life calendar” and suggesting that everyone should experience prison, highlight her detachment from the real-world consequences of her actions. Her statement reflects a perverse pride, a mindset that trivializes the severity of her crimes and mocks those who genuinely suffer due to the systemic corruption she represents.
The complicity of Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and others, who publicly defended Namujju’s corrupt practices under the guise of “generosity,” only deepens the betrayal felt by ordinary Ugandans. Their justification that Namujju “shares whatever she steals” is a grotesque distortion of leadership, where the theft of public funds is reframed as a noble act.
In a country where the corrupt are exalted and the righteous are silenced, this thanksgiving ceremony stands as a dark chapter in Uganda’s history, one that future generations will look back on with shame and disbelief.
Discussion about this post