Uncontrolled fire in Northern Uganda

Hut where Wod Aceng was burnt with his family

It is dry season in Northern Uganda, rain is expected in March. After moving to 18 parishes in our Diocese in four days, I observed the following key things: -

Ø  Uncontrolled fire is razing in many places day and night.

Uncontrolled fire in Nwoya District Jan 2017

Ø  Many huts have been burnt.

Ø  People have lost food staff and other household items to the fire.

Ø  Those who have got good harvest are selling food items like the world is ending today. 

Ø  The road to Amuru district Headquarter is the worst.

Residence of the Parish priest of Amuru

Children of Rev. Otema George of Amuru Parish

Out of the original 24 parishes we have 7 parishes having decent accommodation for their priests (St. Philips Cathedral, Christ Church, St. Michael Obiya, St.  Andrew Anaka, Cwero, Agung and Koro). The rest are living in grass thatched huts (OT LUM).

In Koch Goma we visited a ruined of the late wod Aceng who was burnt together with his wife and three children in a grass thatched hut. This is a sad reminder of the Kony era, where torching of huts was the order of the day.

We thank God that through Bishop Johnson in the last seven years  all the parish headquarters have got permanent church building except only two  parishes of Ongako and Lakwana.

Please pray for the families of the clergy in our diocese that they be transformed from living in grass thatched huts (which is highly ignitable) to Iron roofed houses.