Africa-Press – Uganda. Bukedi Diocese Bishop Samuel Bogere Engessa has urged Ugandan politicians to stop misrepresenting photographs taken with religious leaders as endorsements, warning that the practice misleads the public and undermines the integrity of the Church.
Speaking during Easter Sunday prayers at St. Peter’s Church in Tororo Municipality, Bishop Engessa addressed a packed congregation with a message that mixed spiritual reflection with a strong caution against political opportunism as the country edges closer to the 2026 general elections.
“Please, when you take a photo with me, it doesn’t mean I have endorsed you. Stop that character,” the Bishop said firmly, drawing applause from worshippers.
He noted that several politicians have used such images for their own gain, falsely suggesting Church backing in their campaigns.
The Bishop also criticised the growing trend of candidates liquidating personal or family assets to fund election campaigns, calling the behaviour reckless and unjustifiable.
“Why should you sell your home property to look for votes? What happens to your family if you fail?” he asked.
Engessa used the Easter message to call for a renewal of moral values, urging Christians to live in a way that reflects the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“The Jesus we serve is alive, and therefore, we must live lives that match His resurrection,” he said.
The Bishop lamented the worsening security situation in Tororo, pointing to rising violent crime in the area. He recalled a chilling case in which a young man was brutally murdered.
“Almost every week we are losing lives here in Tororo. I will never forget when they killed a very young man here. You can imagine the boy was slaughtered like a goat,” he said.
He appealed for peace, reconciliation and forgiveness, urging communities to foster harmony from the household level to national affairs.
“Let us forgive and forget. There should be peace in the country, in our homes, and in the villages we come from,” he added.
Engessa warned against tribalism, corruption and false preaching, noting these issues continue to threaten both the strength of the Church and the unity of the nation.
“Was Jesus a Samia for me to promote him? Why hate your friend because of tribe? No, we must remain one,” he said.
In closing, the Bishop advised politicians to focus on substance rather than character assassination.
He recounted a recent burial where a speaker attacked a local leader’s simple lifestyle in public. “Let’s focus on manifestos, not insults,” he said.
His sermon was received with enthusiasm by the faithful, many of whom applauded his bold stance on values and national unity ahead of what is expected to be a tense electoral season.
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