30 April 2001
Kampala — The Church of Uganda (COU) is investigating allegations that one of its retired bishops is advocating for gay rights in the Protestant Church, reports Kezio Musoke.
Archbishop Mpalanyi Nkoyooyo's spokesman, Rev. Can. Dr. Jackson Turyagyenda. told The New Vision, yesterday the retired bishop from Buganda region was in contact with an American Gay Rights group which could be sponsoring his crusade.
Turyagyenda declined to name the bishop.
"The church is investigating the actions of this bishop," he said.
"He is preaching positively about homosexuality and the youth are his target. These also include primary school children. The church has cautioned him ever since the Lambeth Conference in 1998 but he has failed to resolve that issue," Turyagyenda added.
The bishop is alleged to have been the only African bishop who disagreed with other bishops including Nkoyooyo, during the Lambeth Conference in England in 1998.
Bishops at the conference were debating on whether the church should condemn homosexuality or simply counsel anyone in this practice.
The alleged bishop is said to have backed for the counseling of gay people in the church.
Nkoyooyo is currently on a working trip in the United States.
Bukedde, yesterday quoted, Turyagyenda as saying the church had got hold of numerous documents and materials that the alleged bishop was believed to have been sending to different people for his crusade.
He said, "Senior bishops will have to meet and see how to deal with this bishop. We appeal to all members of the Protestant church in Uganda to disassociate themselves and their children from this bishop."
Press reports yesterday connoted that the Bishop of West Buganda, Kefa Kamanya Semakula last week, held closed door meeting with differentpriests, Church of Uganda schools head teachers in Rakai district and urged them to disassociate themselves from the alleged bishop.
Semakula was quoted as having told the meeting that the said bishop was preaching in favour of promoting homosexuality.
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