SW News: Catholic believers in Uganda have raised their concerns over the increasing number of lootings in various parishes across the country. The robbers break into various parishes and steal religious items and other equipment. The robbers are reportedly targeting catholic churches across different dioceses of the East African country.

Grieving over a recent attack at Matale Parish in Masaka Diocese, a parishioner Rose Nakuya said, “People nowadays have no fear of God. How is it possible for one to steal from the house of God?”Hundreds of churches in Uganda have been subjected to looting recently. Burglars break open doors and windows at night and decamp with items such as public address systems, furniture, curtains, electric wires, food, laptops, lights, and money found in offering boxes.

In Masaka Diocese alone, at least six Catholic churches have been looted in less than a year, according to Father Henry Kiganda of St. Jude Parish in Lukaya. Fr Henry stated, “The situation is worrying us. We are looking for ways to protect our churches, including erecting fences, hiring guards, and installing cameras.”

In addition, he added that thieves entered five Catholic churches in Lira Diocese and stole church equipment in two months.According to him, most priests around the country have been forced to keep churches locked, especially when there are no ceremonies or Holy Mass. The priest also said that many churches struggle to generate funds to repair and replace the stolen church equipment and assets.

Due to the recurrent thefts, the faithful are adversely affected as they are unable to go to the parishes for personal prayer. The parishes mostly remain locked to prevent the loot to an extent. While some parishes and dioceses can afford to build a security system and CCTV to prevent theft, many churches can’t, forcing them to remain locked. Uganda has a diversified religious landscape, with Christianity being the most widely practised religion. According to the 2014 census, approximately 84 per cent of the population was Christian, with 14 per cent of the population following Islam.