By Hanning Mbabazi
Kampala: In a video clip that has since gone viral, controversial City pastor Aloysius Bugingo said his wife was suffering from fistula, which denied him conjugal rights for over 10 years during their 29 year old marriage.
Now, the Acting Information and National Guidance Minister, Chris Baryomunsi, has described as “offensive”, utterances by the man of God against his estranged wife Teddy Bugingo.
Speaker Jacob Oulanya during the session on Wed.
Bugingo was quickly criticized by women groups, who later held demonstrations on Monday , which were dispersed by police, leaving scores arrested.
“As government, we took note of the offensive communication uttered by the pastor and the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has since written to him [Bugingo] inlight of the same and we speak investiagtions have commenced,” Baryomunsi said during Wednesday’s plenary sitting chaired by Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah.
“It is wrong for anybody to condemn a woman simply because she has that kind of condition…I want to join you in condemning that act,” he added.
MP Nabilah Naggayi Ssempala (FDC, Kampala) raised the matter on the floor of parliament as a matter of National importance.
Baryomunsi sought to reassure MPs that UCC is studying the footage and recordings containing Bugingo’s remarks to ascertain if they breach the minimum broadcasting standards and appropriate action would be taken if found guilty.
However, opposition’s Chief Whip Ibrahim Ssemujju (FDC, Kira Municipality) decried of double standards in government’s position on the issues.“Joseph Kabuleta who is also a pastor has been jailed for days for offensive communication and has been released without charge, for this one [Bugingo], you have just warned him…do you have standards?” wondered Ssemujju.
An adamant Baryomunsi maintained that the law would be applied without discrimination. “Nobody should use the pretext of faith to break the law,” charged Baryomunsi.
In the recent past, the controversial pastor has been battling with a breaking marriage, which has seen him make public utterances seen to be targeting his wife, who he is seeking to divorce.
