NAKAKAAWA FAITH PRISCILLA
A devastating fire gutted St. Noah’s Parish, a 50-year-old church in Mukono, on Friday, May 9, 2024, leaving the holy place reduced to ashes. The church, believed to be one of the oldest in the area, was a sanctuary for the community for over five decades.
According to eyewitnesses, smoke started billowing out of the church on Friday afternoon, followed by a massive fireball that engulfed the sky above the holy place. Nassejje, a resident from the church neighborhood, said she was the first to spot the smoke, but initially thought it was someone burning rubbish behind the church.
“I didn’t take it seriously at first, but before I knew it, flames of fire rose to the sky, and it was totally burnt down,” Nassejje said, standing just a stone’s throw away from the church.
Locals rushed to the scene with buckets of water and sand to quell the fire, but the blaze was too fierce. The old timber cracked and snapped, and within an hour, the church was reduced to smoldering ruins. The altar, the hand-carved pews, and the crucifix above the pulpit were all destroyed.
The following morning, ash and silence hung in the air as investigators began their work. Rumors swirled, with some blaming faulty wiring, but no one truly knew what sparked the fire.
Father Emmanuel Ngobi, the aging priest who had led the parish for three decades, stood by the charred remains, his voice filled with conviction. “This building is gone, but our faith is not. We will get back up,” he said, rallying for support to restore the church.
Police is working with area authorities to establish the exact cause of the fire, while locals have embarked on a campaign to rebuild the church.
“We will rebuild, and our faith will remain strong,” Father Ngobi said, as the community came together to reminisce the golden times of the old church as the community came together in a show of solidarity and support for the church.
Many now consider this as one of the fiercest attacks on the Christian faith in recent times. The church had been embroiled in a land dispute with traditional herbalists in the area, which had sparked a fight last month.
“This incident is particularly disturbing given the recent tensions between the church and traditional herbalists over land,” said Ojara Micheal, a community leader. “We urge the authorities to investigate this thoroughly and bring those responsible for this heinous act to book.”
