The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Rubaga Cathedral has postponed a highly anticipated Holy Mass intended to pray for the release of Dr. Kizza Besigye, veteran opposition figure and leader of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), and other political inmates. The decision to defer the service came shortly before the scheduled 2 p.m. service, stirring confusion and emotions among supporters who had assembled at the cathedral grounds.
Several political figures had turned up for the event, including Besigye’s wife Winnie Byanyima and prominent political activist, the leadership of the newly registered People’s Front for Freedom, and officials from the National Unity Platform led by Secretary General David Louis Rubongoya.
Before giving the final blessing during the afternoon Mass, the cathedral administrator, Rev. Father Achilles Mayanja, announced that the planned Mass in honour of Besigye and other detainees would be postponed “till further notice.” However, sources within the cathedral told journalists that the leadership had received directives from government authorities advising against holding the prayer service.
The cathedral had already circulated digital fliers on its official platforms earlier in the day, informing the public of the postponement. Despite the announcement, many of the people who had assembled insisted they intended to stay, praying together and urging the church leadership to proceed with the planned service.
Dr. Kizza Besigye has been on remand at Luzira Maximum Security Prison since November 2024, after being arrested in Nairobi, Kenya, and charged with treason and related offences — allegations he denies. His detention, now over a year long, has drawn widespread criticism from supporters, human rights organisations, and opposition figures.
Supporters say the Mass was meant not only to pray for Besigye’s release but also to draw attention to the broader issue of political prisoners in Uganda, some of whom have been held for years without trial. Byanyima has previously said she reached out to opposition networks for a list of detained party members and was given more than 600 names.
The planned Rubaga Cathedral event was also part of a week of prayer activities declared by the PFF to mark the anniversary of Besigye’s sustained detention and to underscore calls for rule of law, respect for human rights, and peaceful political dialogue.
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