Lira City, Uganda: The Church of Uganda in northern Uganda is set to refocus national attention on the moral legacy of slain Archbishop Janani Jakaliya Luwum as the Diocese of Lango hosts the St Janani Luwum Memorial Public Lectures on February 14, 2026.
The lectures will be held at All Saints University, formerly Canon Lawrence Primary Teachers College, and are expected to draw clergy, academics, students and civil society actors from across the country ahead of the national commemoration of the martyred archbishop.
Church leaders say the initiative is intended to move beyond ceremonial remembrance and interrogate the relevance of Luwum’s witness in a country still grappling with governance challenges, ethical decline and shrinking civic space.
“We want to remind Ugandans, especially young people, that Janani Luwum was not only a martyr but a man who chose truth over comfort,” said Patrick Benson Ogwang, Director of Mission and Evangelism for the Diocese of Lango, during a press briefing at the diocesan headquarters on Wednesday.
The memorial lectures will feature Ashley Null, the Anglican Bishop in charge of North Africa and a church historian, alongside Olara Otunnu, a veteran diplomat and former United Nations Under-Secretary-General.
Organisers said the choice of speakers reflects the dual nature of Luwum’s legacy—deeply rooted in Christian faith but politically consequential.
“Archbishop Luwum confronted a violent state with moral authority, not weapons,” Rev. Ogwang said. “We want voices that understand faith, power and the cost of speaking truth to authority.”
From Lecture Hall to Martyrdom Site
Following the Lango-hosted lectures, participants will travel to Wii Gweng village in Mucwini Sub-county, Kitgum District, where Archbishop Luwum was killed in February 1977 under the regime of Idi Amin.
The main memorial celebrations will be held there two days later, with confirmation of participation from the Diocese of Kitgum.
Wilson Kitara, the Bishop of Kitgum Diocese, said the commemorations are intended as moments of national self-examination rather than historical ritual.
“Janani Luwum paid the ultimate price for standing for justice,” Bishop Kitara said. “As a Church, we must constantly ask ourselves whether we still have that courage, or whether we have settled for silence.”
Church leaders expressed concern that while Luwum’s name is widely known, the meaning of his sacrifice is increasingly lost on younger generations.
“Many young people know Janani Luwum as a statue or a public holiday,” Rev. Ogwang said. “But they do not know why he was killed or what he stood for. These lectures are meant to bridge that gap.”
By situating the lectures at a university campus, organisers hope to spark debate within academic spaces that shape future leaders. “Education without values is dangerous,” Rev. Ogwang added. “Janani Luwum challenges us to produce leaders with conscience, not just credentials.”
Nearly five decades after his assassination, Archbishop Luwum remains a symbol of resistance against tyranny and moral compromise. Church leaders have urged the public, institutions and faith leaders to attend the lectures, describing them as a timely call to reclaim moral courage amid difficult national conversations on justice, accountability and values.
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