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Exactly 44 years ago today February 24, 1982 armed soldiers under President Milton Obote burst into Lubaga Cathedral during Ash Wednesday Mass, guns drawn, and ordered the priests to stop praying.
They dragged the clergy off the altar in their vestments, searched the whole place looking for guerrillas, looted the cardinal’s house, and arrested dozens of terrified worshippers. The trigger? Rebels had attacked a barracks the day before from near the cathedral.
Cardinal Emmanuel Nsubuga didn’t stay quiet. He wrote a strong pastoral letter calling the raid “godless and sacrilegious” and gave Obote’s government an ultimatum: apologise or the Catholic Church would boycott all state functions. Obote eventually met the cardinal and said sorry.
Fast-forward to yesterday, February 25, 2026. A special Mass at the same Lubaga Cathedral meant to pray for detained opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye (who has been in prison on treason charges for over a year and whose health is said to be failing) was suddenly postponed after President Museveni personally intervened. Winnie Byanyima, Besigye’s wife, confirmed the call came from the top. Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere agreed to call it off.
Hundreds of Besigye supporters still showed up anyway. They prayed and sang hymns outside without any priest leading them turning the place into a quiet but powerful show of solidarity.
Historian Dr Robert Ojambo from Kyambogo University says this is classic Catholic Church strategy in Uganda: play it careful, choose dialogue over direct confrontation, and survive to fight another day. He points out that under Amin, Obote II, and now Museveni, the Church has condemned bad things but rarely gone all-out like the Anglicans did when Archbishop Luwum was killed.
Why this matters to you Whether you’re Catholic or not, this pattern shows how big institutions in Uganda navigate power they speak truth but avoid total war with the state. For ordinary citizens, it’s a lesson in patience and smart resistance. Shouting loud on social media feels good, but real change often comes from consistent, low-key pressure and prayer.
The Archdiocese hasn’t announced a new date for the Mass yet. If you care about Besigye’s situation or political prisoners in general, the quiet way the Church operates might actually keep the conversation alive longer than dramatic protests that get shut down fast
