This visitation of Archbishop Stephen Kaziima at Eng Dr Silver Mugisha’s home in Bushenyi has nothing to do with religious ecumenism( for love that unites), but rather a silent Political fight between two brothers and camps of Marvin Baryaruha and Willis Bashasha; an insider who is a member of the Synod- West Ankole Diocese has revealed.
The source says the in-fights are between Baryaruha, the Chancellor of West Ankole Diocese and Willis Bashasha the Head of Laity West Ankole Diocese on one side, against Minister Mary Karooro Okurut and Annet camps on the other side.
Marvin Baryaruha contested in the 2020 NRM Party Primaries, and this did not go well with Mr Willis Bashasha who also wanted to contest for the same seat, but found it hard with the entry of Marvin Baryaruha. Willis Bashasha Postponed his interests for the next five years- 2026-2031, and embarked on a clandestine mission of uprooting Marvin Baryaruha so that by 2026 he is no more because his being in the race in Bushenyi Ishaka Municipality MP serves almost a permanent blockade to Willis ambitions of becoming an MP of the same area.
Willis Bashasha in the 2020 NRM party Primaries supported Kabuura Derrick Beimukye against Marvin Baryaruha his brother, and it is claimed that he wanted Kabuura because he would be a weaker person to defeat in the 2025 NRM Party Primaries, Voting was by lining up, and Willis dodged this voting at his Katungu Polling Station- He never wanted to be seen standing Behind the Portrait of Kabuura against his brother Marvin
Since that time, the war between these two brothers intensified, they have now dragged in Rt Rev Bishop Johnson and National Water ED Eng. Dr Silver Mugisha.
During the 2020/21 Bushenyi Woman MP elections, Marvin Baryaruha supported Hon Mary Karooro Okurut, and Willis belonged to Hon Annet Mugisha Camp up to date.
When elections to choose leaders to lead the Diocese took place in 2021, Willis was the Head of Laity, and he wanted to retain it, and Marvin was the Diocesan Chancellor, he also wanted to retain it. None of these two wished another to retain the seat. They had to undermine each other. Two camps immediately came up, and the Bishop tried to remain neutral, but later openly joined the Willis/ Bashasha/Annet Katusiime camp, against Marvin/Karooro Camp.
Willis was contesting for Head of Laity(which he won) and Marvin wanted to retain his Chancellorship. The Willis camp got a candidate to stand against Marvin, this was Counsel Oyine from Sheema, and Marvin/Karooro camp got Pison Mugizi to stand against Willis as Head of Laity.
The battle lines at Bweranyangi had Been politically drawn. Willis was vigorously supported by the Hon Annet/Sliver Mugisha camp and Marvin/Pison Mugizi was supported by Karooro/Hassan camp. Money exchanged hands in the Diocese and at Bweranyangi- on voting day. Wills Bashasha defeated Pison Mugizi, and Willis Bashasha/AnnetMugisha took the Head of Laity Position.
The Chancellor’s name was supposed to be proposed by the Bishop, after sensing the tension in the synod, the Bishop delegated this responsibility to the audience. Katwarana Anthony(Synod delegate from Kibaare Parish) was picked by the Bishop, instead of proposing Counsel Oyine as it was highly anticipated, Katwarana proposed Counsel Marvin Baryaruha and the Bishop could not accept to subject the synod to a vote on it, Marvin passed unopposed. This did not go well with Willis’s camp that had planned to dustbin him and his Karooro camp from Bweranyangi Hill.
When elections ended, the Pison Mugizi camp didn’t agree with the outcome-They petitioned the Archbishop that the elections in the Synod chaired by Bishop Johnson were a sham. The chief Petitioner for the Pison group was Emmanuel Karasi a Christian from the Rukindo Church of Uganda.
It is highly believed and suspected that Marvin and Hon Karooro were the ones sponsoring this petition against the Bishop and Willis Bashasha. Marvin is a friend of Archbishop Kazimba and the Provincial Secretary. Archbishop Kazimba even wrote to Bishop Johnson directing him to handle the matter with the urgency it deserved. The Archbishop’s letter was copied to Emmanuel Karasi.
This angered Bishop Johnson who saw Marvin and Karooro as people behind his humiliation. Through Marvin’s strong ties with the Province at Namirembe, Archbishop Kazimba paid a courtesy visit at Hon Karooro’s home in Bushenyi, and the Willis/Annet camp suspect that it was Marvin Baryaruha who arranged this visit, to demonstrate how Karooro Okurut is a pillar in Anglican Church. The Karooro group feel that Bishop Johnson has sided with Annet Mugisha(Catholic) against Karooro(Anglican Canon)
The visitation of the Archbishop at Karoro’s home in Bushenyi was a bigger booster against the Willis and Bishop Johnson group.
Intelligence reveals that the Visit of Archbishop Kazimba at Dr Sliver and Annet Mugisha’s home and later at Willis’s home in Ruharo on 18th June, is meant to neutralize the one which took place at Hon Karoro’s home, and it also intended to unveil the alliance between Dr Sliver/ Annet Mugisha and Willis Bashasha for the 2026 elections. Willis is trying to mobilize the Catholic vote against Marvin for Bushenyi Ishaka Municipality.
Equally, the visitation of the Archbishop at Dr Sliver’s place(a Catholic) and Hon Annet is entrenching herself within the Anglican block as we approach 2026. The visit of the Archbishop at Dr Sliver Mugisha, and later at Willis’s Place is politically calculated, it has nothing to do with ecumenism(unity of religious groups)or undermining of Anglicans by Catholics led by Dr Eng Silver Mugisha
Do you have a story or an opinion to share? Email us on: [email protected] Or join the Daily Express WhatsApp channel for all the latest news and trends or join the Telegram Channel for the latest updates.
