Hundreds of people remained stranded at St. Mary’s Cathedral Rubaga following the postponement of a special Holy Mass that had been organized to pray for detained former presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye and other prisoners.
Earlier, the family of Dr. Besigye had announced plans to hold a special Mass at the cathedral at 2:00pm. The announcement was made by Winnie Byanyima, Besigye’s wife, who invited the public to attend the prayers.
However, at the end of the lunchtime Mass, the Administrator of St. Mary’s Cathedral Rubaga, Rev. Fr. Achilles Mayanja, announced that the 2:00pm Mass scheduled to pray for Dr. Besigye and other prisoners had been postponed until further notice.
Despite the communication, many members of the faithful remained seated inside the cathedral, while others continued to trickle in.
Byanyima explained that the purpose of the Mass was to commit Dr. Besigye to God in prayer for his health and freedom, and to pray for all other prisoners and sick people across the country.
“We are inviting everyone, whatever your faith — whether you’re Catholic, Anglican, Muslim, or a traditional spiritualist — to come and join us to pray for our people and our country. Whether you are from the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), National Unity Platform (NUP), Democratic Party (DP), or even the National Resistance Movement (NRM),” she said.
She added that anyone who cares about human rights and the welfare of prisoners should join the prayers.
Dr. Besigye, alongside Obedi Lutale and Capt. Denis Oola, was allegedly abducted in Nairobi in 2024 after attending a book launch hosted by Kenyan politician Martha Karua.
Prosecutors allege that the trio later traveled to Switzerland, Greece, and Kenya, where they attended both physical and virtual meetings allegedly aimed at plotting the overthrow of the Ugandan government, in collaboration with operatives based in Geneva, Athens, Nairobi, and Kampala.
They are further accused of failing to report knowledge of the alleged treasonous activities between 2023 and November 2024, contrary to Ugandan law.
