Authorities in the Catholic diocese of Kasana-Luwero have revealed that 10 out of its 100 acres of land on Walusi hill at Kankoole village in Kikyuusa Sub-County, Luwero district have been grabbed.
The diocese acquired the 100 acres on Walusi hill over 10 years ago. It shares borders on the land in question with traditional herbalists who also own a chunk on the same hill. But the land remained idle for more than five years after its acquisition. After heading the diocese for about six years, the then Bishop of Kasana-Luwero diocese Rt. Rev. Paul Ssemogerere, now Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese who had sopearheaded its acquisition and purchase, moved to develop it.
Bishop Ssemogerere first set it as a prayer place and named it after Mary Mother as it acquired Kiwamirembe-Kankoole. The Prelate then decreed that it should be a spiritual tourism site and that the diocese will always celebrate the Assumption of Mary Mother from there every August 15th.
Bishop Ssemogerere ensured that a shelter for the pilgrims is constructed and also set up some buildings. He also set up a goat farm. Uganda Radio Network (URN) has learned that in a meeting that was convened at this spiritual tourism site on August 7, 2019 to discuss its planned development, a report was presented that 10 acres had been grabbed out of the 100. The neighbours, who are traditional herbalists, were the beneficiaries of the grabbing.
Delivering his homily on Assumption Day on Monday, Msgr Francis Xavier Mpanga, the Kasana-Luwero Diocesan Administrator has brought to light the loss of the said land. He told the hundreds of pilgrims that now, the diocese only has 90 acres. Msgr Mpanga has partially blamed the grabbing of the 10 acres on the lacking development on the land.
He also blamed it on the reluctance by Christians to always pray from the site in numbers to show the neighbors that it’s busy and being used. According to Msgr Mpanga, they need to always crowd at the hill reasoning that it’s the only way they will regain back the lost land.
Rev. Fr. Peter Ekunu, the Kikyuusa Parish Priest where this spiritual tourism site is located has said that as the issue of the lost land remains unresolved, their competitors (the traditional herbalists) with whom they share the border, remain a threat in its development.
Fr. Ekunu remains optimistic that with strong belief in the intercession of Mary Mother, they will win the battle against Satan who he says in entrenched in the neighbors.
When contacted by URN for comment over this alleged grabbing of the land by traditional herbalists, Herbert Mutyaba, the leader of the traditional herbalists in Luwero under their umbrella body, ‘Uganda n’Eddagala lyayo’, said he was still locked up in a meeting. He said he would call us back over that issue in a few minutes but by the time of filing this story, hours later, he was yet to do so.
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