On Sunday, St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Parish in Kyazanga, Lwengo District, was filled with hundreds of people attending a special thanksgiving ceremony for area woman legislator Cissy Namujju, who was recently released on bail after being charged with budget corruption.
Dressed in a white gomesi, Namujju was joined by several politicians, including State Minister for Microfinance Haruna Kasolo, Bukoto West legislator Muhammad Ssentaayi, and Budaka District woman legislator Pamela Nasiyo Kamugo. The event was met with opposition from Senior Presidential Advisor on Greater Masaka Affairs, Ms. Justine Nameere, who had requested the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to block the ceremony, citing its inappropriateness given Namujju’s ongoing prosecution.
“We write to you as patriotic Ugandans under our campaign ‘Wacha Wewe, Stop Corruption,’ where we make all needed efforts to stand in solidarity with President Museveni in his spirited fight against corruption,” Ms. Nameere stated in an August 8 petition to Brig Gen Henry Isoke, head of the anti-corruption unit. Despite her efforts, the ceremony proceeded as planned.
Namujju, along with two other legislators—Paul Akamba (Busiki County, Namutumba) and Yusuf Mutembuli (Bunyole East, Butaleja District)—was granted bail by the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court after spending 55 days in Luzira Prison. However, Akamba remains in custody due to separate charges related to the theft of Shs3.4 billion meant for compensation of Buyaka Growers Co-operative Society Ltd.
During the thanksgiving ceremony, Rev Fr. Gonzaga Nsamba, the parish priest of Busibo, praised Ms. Namujju for her bravery while in prison, likening her experience to that of Jesus during his crucifixion. “When you are strong in faith, every challenge you face in life cannot break you down. I am happy that we are here today to pray for God’s mercy and love,” he said.
Both Rev Fr. Mbaaga Tuzinde Ssenkungu, the parish priest of St. Jude Thaddeus Church, Kyazanga, and Rev Fr. Charles Mbazzi thanked Namujju for her consistent support of church projects, including the ongoing construction of a new church structure in the area. After the Mass, clerics from various religious denominations gathered at Namujju’s ancestral home in Kabukye Village, offering prayers for her legal battles.
In her address, Ms. Namujju expressed gratitude to those who had supported her during her incarceration. “Some people visited me in prison while crying. I told them not to cry because whatever I am going through is on my life calendar. I thank God for enabling me to follow my life calendar. It is not good to wish someone jail, but it is helpful for everyone to get the prison experience and know how the world is moving,” she said.
Earlier in June, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, alongside legislators Daudi Kabanda (Kasambya County, Mubende District) and Juliet Kinyamattama (Woman MP Rakai District), defended Namujju at a rally in Lwengo, highlighting her generosity despite the corruption charges. “You’re better off having a child who eats and brings home,” Ms. Among remarked, receiving applause from the crowd. Ms. Kinyamattama added, “If she stole as we all hear, she has been sharing [the loot] with the people of Lwengo.”
The three legislators are accused of soliciting 20 percent of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) budget during the 2024/2025 financial year budget processing.
