By our reporter
The politics of Kabale District have taken a dramatic turn as residents raise eyebrows over the unusual closeness between Kabale Diocesan Anglican Bishop, Rt. Rev. Gad Akanjuna, and newly-declared NRM flag bearer for Woman MP, Enid Origimisiriza.
This comes on the heels of the NRM Tribunal’s endorsement of Origimisiriza’s victory over the incumbent, Hon. Catherine Ndamira, in the July 17th primaries. But what should have been a routine political transition has instead thrown the Bishop’s credibility into the spotlight.
Church Resources for Politics?
Traditionally, religious leaders in Kigezi subtly tilt support toward candidates of their faith. But Bishop Akanjuna seems to have crossed the line from spiritual guidance to outright partisan activism. Reports suggest he has not only campaigned openly for Origimisiriza but has also dipped into church coffers to bankroll her bid.
Insiders from Rugarama Hill whisper of “development projects” being used as a smokescreen to fleece Anglican households of 100,000 shillings each — funds that suspiciously find their way into Enid’s campaign machinery.
Meanwhile, Christians who dared back Ndamira narrate chilling stories of intimidation. Families benefiting from Compassion International, a church-based NGO sponsoring disadvantaged children, were allegedly threatened with loss of bursaries unless they aligned with the Bishop’s favored candidate. The scandal grew so alarming that Compassion’s Secretariat issued a statement distancing itself from partisan politics.
One shocked believer, Mr. Turwomwe, recalls:
“The Bishop called me asking why I was ‘fighting the church.’ When I pressed him for clarity, he said it was because I wasn’t supporting Enid. He even threatened to come and plant his Bishop’s stick in my compound and kneel there until I joined Enid’s camp. I kept wondering—since when did the Bishop double as a campaign tool, and what exactly is his connection with Enid?”
Double Standards on Display
The hypocrisy doesn’t stop there. In Ndorwa East, the same Bishop threw his weight behind Dr. Protazio Begumisa, a Catholic, against Counsel Elvis Twenda—despite Twenda’s Anglican lineage and his mother Norah Twenda’s senior role as the Secretary Kabale Diocesan Council. Likewise, he opposed Counsel Eliab Mporera, whose father Richard Mporera is a respected member of the Diocesan Synod the top body of the Dioecece.
To many senior Anglicans, the question is simple: why bend heaven and earth for Enid Origimisiriza, while other Anglican candidates are left to fend for themselves?
A Bishop’s “Special Ministry”?
And here lies the elephant in the room—the nature of Bishop Akanjuna’s “special ministry” to Enid Origimisiriza. Enid, a widow, has reportedly enjoyed not only spiritual counseling but also an unusually devoted brand of political evangelism. Residents sarcastically say that the Bishop’s pastoral visits to Enid must surely be for intense “Bible study” sessions—of the kind that require neither a Bible nor witnesses.
Though no one has come forward with hard proof, whispers of an intimate relationship refuse to die down. The secrecy itself fuels suspicion: if there is nothing to hide, why does the Bishop’s loyalty to Enid tower above that shown to his flock or even to the Anglican candidates in the race?
For now, the alleged affair remains a “holy mystery.” What is undeniable, however, is that Bishop Akanjuna’s double standards have cast a long shadow over both the integrity of the church and the credibility of Kabale’s political landscape.
