Kasana–Luweero Diocesan Chancellor, Fr. Dr. Emmanuel Ssekyanzi Lyevuze, has called on security agencies to refrain from inhumane conduct in the year 2026.
Fr. Lyevuze noted that in recent times, security agencies have increasingly been accused of brutalizing citizens.
He made the remarks while delivering his homily on Thursday, January 1, 2026, during the 10:00 a.m. New Year Thanksgiving Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Queen of Peace Kasana Cathedral.
At the start of the New Year, Fr. Lyevuze said the Catholic Church is urging all people to pray for peace, emphasizing the need for peace in families and across the country. He observed that developments in Uganda are a cause for concern, particularly as the country moves toward a general election period.
He expressed worry over reports of citizens being brutalized, teargassed indiscriminately, and in some cases abducted. According to Fr. Lyevuze, such actions point to a lack of inner peace among some security personnel, noting that without peace of heart, it is difficult for anyone to extend peace to others.
Fr. Lyevuze’s remarks come in the context of President Yoweri Museveni’s televised End-of-Year address delivered on New Year’s Eve, in which the President banned the caning of lawbreakers and rejected the use of corporal punishment.
However, in the same address, the President defended the use of teargas as a legal and non-lethal crowd-control method, while advising police to issue warnings and allow bystanders to move away before its deployment.
Turning to family life, Fr. Lyevuze also urged Catholics to avoid turning their homes into battlegrounds, noting that peaceful households are key to preventing domestic violence. He expressed concern about anger within families, which he said often leads to conflict, and called for harmony and peaceful coexistence in homes throughout 2026.
He commended the faithful who attended the New Year Thanksgiving Mass, noting that many people fail to take time to thank God. Fr. Lyevuze underscored the importance of gratitude, observing that many people lost their lives in road crashes and did not live to see the New Year.
He encouraged the faithful to focus less on what they have not yet received and instead remain grateful for what God has already done for them. During the Mass, he led the congregation into a song of thanksgiving.
At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, Fr. Lyevuze conveyed a message from the Kasana Cathedral Administrator, Msgr. Vincent De Paul Mukiibi, who also serves as the Vicar General of Kasana–Luweero Diocese. He said Msgr. Mukiibi appreciated the faithful for their support throughout 2025, citing contributions to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal Fund (BAAFU), ‘Yoyoota Kasana Cathedral’, and other diocesan initiatives. Prayers were also offered for the sick and the needy for a better year in 2026.
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