Police in Entebbe have deployed security officers at the Kigugu landing site in Entebbe to investigate the fires that burned down the historic Mapeera Kigungu Church on the night of November 7, 2024.
According to the Kigugu sub-county councilor, Yasiyo Mutebi, unidentified individuals entered the church during the night and set everything used for prayers on fire. He added that the church’s attempt to open up its land boundaries in order to verify where its land passes might have been the source of the issue.
Mutebi added that some people were not happy about land boundaries, especially on the landing site, where many people are carrying out their daily activities.
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The chairperson LCIII of Kigugu, Richard Ssenyondo, said that security has begun using the CCTV cameras to find those unknown people who set the church on fire.
He added that at around 10:00 p.m. people saw fire in the church and ran to the Head of Laity (Ssabakristu), who stays near the church.
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The Head of Laity confirmed that at 10:00 p.m., unidentified individuals broke into the church, starting with the room containing the priest’s clothing, pouring kerosene on it, and then burning it.
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The CID from the aviation police is already at the scene, trying to check the entire CCTV cameras in the area to find out the intentions and the unidentified individuals.
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According to archives from Catholic literature, Mapeera Church was built on the spot in Kigungu, where the two French missionaries of Fr. Siméon Lourdel, also known as Mapeera and Brother Amans Delmas, arrived in the country on 17 February 1879.
