Evidence has been revealed indicating that the embattled former Kitegomba Church of Uganda parish priest Rev. Abel Sserwanja Merewooma who was recently given marching orders by his boss, the Bishop of Namirembe Diocese Moses Banja, actually sat his divinity diploma examinations on forged academic papers.
From the genesis of his troubles when Namirembe Diocesan Secretary, Rev. Can. Henry Ssegawa wrote him the dismissal letter on November 29, 2024, facts emerging show that authorities at the Mukono based Uganda Christian University (UCU) have communicated indicating that his divinity diploma award had been revoked on grounds of using forged academic papers to join the university.
Bp. Kagodo Asembezza Rev. Mereewooma Eyagobeddwa e Namirembe!
Although Christians are engaged in tireless efforts to make Bishop Banja withdraw his dismissal decision, he has stood his grounds arguing in part that besides being a legally binding move, Merewooma is not remorseful and has deceitfully continuously been promising to produce prof that he holds the required testimonials that led him to join university.
The dismissal letter to Merewooma signed by Namirembe Diocesan Secretary Rev. Can. Henry Ssegawa dated 29th November 2024 reads in part:
“UCU wrote informing us that they cancelled your diploma in divinity because they established that you used forged documents to join university; you asked for grace period to produce academic papers proving the reverse but the time you asked for elapsed without you complying”.
It further stated that once the letter appointing someone a priest is revoked; it means that person is not eligible to serve in any church in Uganda. Contacted for comment, UCU publicist Harriet Adongo said she can only comment on the matter while in office, but that she was at the moment out of office for her Christmas holidays.
Sources in Namirembe indicated that Bishop Banja has been approached by high officials in the diocese to pardon Rev. Merewooma reasoning that the church is an institution of forgiveness but in response, Banja argues that doing so would be a contradiction since UCU which revoked his diploma belongs to the Church.
However, reliably informed sources indicate that throughout this commotion, Rev. Merewooma has landed a job in Mukono diocese which has given rise to a number of questions among believers, many wondering how Merewooma stands rejected in Namirembe diocese and accepted in a sister diocese in Mukono.
His dismissal has been a source of controversy to the extent that Kitegomba Christians last Sunday protested during a service conducted by Gayaza Archdeacon, Rev. Ven. Can. Dunstan Mazinga Kiwanuka for dismissal of a person who to them has managed to put in place unprecedented projects like beginning construction of the church in a period of only three months since he was transferred to their area.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that Rev. Merewooma stage managed the protest by organising believers in a rehearsed show down before the archdeacon.
Contacted for comment, the head of the laity at Mukono Diocese Herbert Bataamye said the bible emphasizes forgiveness plus giving a second chance to people who go asunder. Bataamye seemed to deliberately dodge a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.
Kyaggwe TV has however seen a copy of the letter signed by the Bishop of Mukono diocese, Enos Kitto Kagodo assigning the embattled Rev. Merewooma as a clergy in Mukono diocese.
Written on December 23, 2024, the letter assigns Rev. Merewooma to Mukono diocese in the year 2025 starting January 1, 2025.
The latter has been assigned in the office of the bishop as the Diocesan Resource Mobilizer in the department of Planning and Development and also to give a hand in Saints Phillip and Andrew’s Cathedral in Mukono.
The Christians have shown mixed reactions with some condemning the Mukono diocese’s resolve to appoint as minister someone rejected by a sister diocese of Namirembe as being unfit, on grounds of forging academic papers, something which runs counter not only to church laws but also to the criminal penal code.
Another section of Christians however is not bothered over Rev. Merewooma’s issue.
