A couple in Kayunga, central Uganda, was recently caught chewing each other on the pulpit of Bugonya Church of Uganda. The act took place within the unfinished structure of the Anglican Church and involved a Catholic man and a Muslim woman.
The couple was discovered by local residents, who promptly escorted them to the Local Council (LC) 1 officials. While the 23-year-old man has since disappeared and is believed to be hiding at a friend\’s house in the same village.
The man\’s father has come forward to negotiate with local leaders and has pleaded that the Shs600,000 fine imposed on his son by community members for the act is beyond their means.
Investigation reveals that the couple gained entry to the church by scaling the walls and entering through an unfitted window. As a result, the church\’s leadership and the village have decided that the couple must pay for the purchase and installation of shutters on all windows of the unfinished church as punishment.
Mr. Aaron Komugisha, the church\’s lay leader, has stated that each window shutter costs Shs75,000 and that the married man and father of two must bear the full cost. It remains unclear whether the woman will also be held responsible for the expenses.
In response to the imposed fine, the man\’s father has argued that his son can only afford to buy and install a single shutter. Local authorities have requested that the father produce his son for an LC court hearing to share his side of the story, but the father claims to be unaware of his son\’s whereabouts.
In addition to the cost of the window shutters, the man is expected to cover the expenses of repairing church furniture that was damaged during the commotion surrounding the couple\’s arrest. The village chairperson, Mr. George William Kanda, has stated that the couple must appear in the LC court.
The church has since resumed prayers after conducting cleansing rituals and fasting by Christians. The incident has left the community in shock and serves as a stark reminder of the need for respect and reverence towards religious institutions.
