UGANDA: THERE WILL BE CHANGE IN THIS COUNTRY, WHO THINK ACHOLI SUB-REGION WILL BE PEACEFUL AFTER TWO DECADES OF CONFLICT

“I am happy to be back to northern Uganda again, during the devastating northern Uganda insurgency, who think that peace will prevail, in Acholi Sub-Region, tenth thousand children were on Gulu streets, they were commuting from their home, as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). And the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), They were fighting a deadly war in northern Uganda.  But today, as I talk now, who thinks Acholi Sub-Region has been in a serious war theatre

Relating to his first time when he met with Bishop Nelson Onono Onweng, the then Bishop of Northern Uganda Anglican Diocese, way back when they were sleeping with communicative children on Gulu streets.

I met bishop Nelson Onono Onweng, my bishop told me that bishop Nelson Onono says stopped praying for us the people of northern Uganda, because we are suffering enough.

I ask the leaders: God chose you to speak for your people. I came here when people were in a camp; there was inhumanity, and people were in dire need. I also visited other camps in Lango. I became the voice of this region.  

GULU CITY, SATURDAY, August, 15, 2026

By Okumu Livingstone Langol, Uganda Correspondent)

Rev. Kenneth Kanyankole, the Chairman of the Laity of the Anglican Church of Uganda House of Bishop, said the time is near for Uganda to get out of the bondage of poverty and oppression, I always kneel and pray for Ugandans to be peaceful.

Rev. Kenneth Kanyankole, the visiting guest of honor in Gulu City during thanksgiving of the retired Rev. Cannon Kenneth Oyet, the former Diocesan Secretary Northern Uganda Anglican Church of Uganda, during the prayer at St Paul Lawii-adul Church of Uganda shed tear of happiness for the family re-union of his family and his longtime friend Rev. Cannon Oyet whom they have been together as brothers for 42 years since they met during their study at Bishop Taker College Mukono, now Mukono Christian University.

The Chairman of Laity House of Bishop, Church of Uganda reiterates, Acholi Sub-Region and Uganda will soon be peaceful, change will soon come to Uganda, without mentioning how change will come, but argued the elected are committed men of God, God save them when even when they are in sorrow, we must think there is time to go home.

“At the peak of Northern Uganda insurgency, in 1996, when I came here in Gulu District, I cried for the suffering of people because of Humanity, I told my brother Rev. Canon Kenneth Oyet, I am going with your son, and I took him to stay with me for three years. Now, when I see prosperity in Acholi Sub-Region, we must thank God.”

Rev Kenneth Kanyankole, came with armful relatives including two his children, who travel from Kanungo District from West Ankole Diocese revealed when they were coming from Kanungo District to Kampala, they were talking in Kinyankole language, they were listening to one another.

However, when they boarded the Gulu Kampala bus, they were quiet because people were talking in tongues. We sat from Kampala to Gulu in dead silence because people were talking in tongues. Now, in this church, I was given the book of the Bible, but I am seeing the Greek words.

Rev. Kenneth Kanyankole implored, I am related to people of Northern Uganda, but I don’t have biological blood; stressed, we are created and born differently; others are tall, others are short. We are one in Christ.

“Let us pray, Father Jesus, I want to thank you for coming here, I ask you God to bring us share your grace, as share your words, give us thanks to everyone, I have never been a bishop. But I know what the bishop goes through, especially when there is turmoil in this country; they are in big travel.”

Relating to his first time when he met with Bishop Nelson Onono Onweng, the then Bishop of Northern Uganda Anglican Diocese, way back when they were sleeping with communicative children on Gulu streets.

I met bishop Nelson Onono Onweng, my bishop told me that bishop Nelson Onono says stopped praying for us the people of northern Uganda, because we are suffering enough.

I ask the leaders that God chose you to speak for your people, I came here when people were in a camp, there was inhumanity, people were in dire needs, I also visited other camps in Lango, I became the voice of this region.

My Lord Bishop while preaching at St Paul Church of Uganda, Lawii-adul church, Rev. Kenneth Kanyankole reiterates, for grace of God, I was elected Chairman of the House of Bishop of the Anglican Church, I was so excited, how can a man from Kanungo be elected from Kibwetere Bishop background.

I have developed a fear for the Anglican Church of Uganda. Why is it fear? I have to think of… the all-Uganda Anglican Church of Uganda. So it is a big thing; by grace of God, we have been struggling, looking at the wall, fear of the Clergy.

Bishops and the Emeritus Bishop Nelson Onono Onweng rose up, echoing words, thank you for coming to northern Uganda, Rev. Kenneth Kanyankole.

He goes on and on, preaching the words of God to an attentive church congregation. Rev. Kenneth Kanyankole turns to his brother, Rev. Canon Kenneth Oyet, warning him, you have retired, but the work of God needs you.

In referring to the book of Jerimiah, the man of God preaching at the pulpit, argued the congregation that when they are facing the wall, look at the wall, Jerimiah, says let us build the wall, he calls all people to come and build the wall.

He was looking at Gulu City; this City is very beautiful, unlike that day when only wind visits you and ghosts of the dead hang around you. Now we have to make this city our home; extend that practice.

To all people, let people get fresh water; let people build the wall; people have broken homes; you can have a home that is destroyed, but no good life.

I have seen beautiful schools from Karuma to Gulu City, let the government of Uganda put resilient programs to restore the past education glory which was a beacon of hope when all students across Uganda from Kisoro to Karamoja Sub-Region would come to Sir Samuel Baker for education as Mecca, because we are all government.

The church is the foundation of life, from grace to glory, from grace to grass, from grass, speak of the struggle. When you talk of grass, you are looking at people who are being stepped on. Grass is the voice of crying people.

People have struggled without the rain for two years. I don’t have the seed of rain; you know where you have come from. Given his background, Rev. Kanyankole decried, he came from a suffering place, I have been an orphan, I had lost all my parents, I don’t have a combination because after “O” Level, there is no way.

This man, who comes from the bishop Kibwetere family, caused a massacre of his Christian followers in the mid-1990s when over 100 people were burnt alive while praying in his church. Now, preaching the words of God, even getting a wife because I was an orphan, was a tug of war.

Remember to give her one bag and a pair of shoes, we spent three years wearing only uniform clothes, because we were putting on the robes of clergy, it was a wonder world. Nowadays, I see how she is looking for different clothes.

Grace speaks of fear; grace talks about God deserving time. All of us come from grass story; to say, in camps for over two decades, we thank God. God of the poor, He lifts you higher. But you must have clean hands; today I am somewhere.

Who are you, many though they are not there, Grass season is not your final, it will change, the land will protect you, when your dream is coming things are going to change in this country, northern Uganda is going to change?

As we read Psalm 113, God look at you, raise you and those who have fallen down, King David was a Shepard, God called him, Moses was in desert wilderness, and Joseph was sold to slave trade in Egypt, I have good news for you.

You know what happened to Joseph? God understand your question; it starts from where you are.  He will not despise where you are; don’t despise where you are. You may be struggling with God to lift you up.

The Laity chairman in the House of Bishops, Church of Uganda Anglican Diocese, promised that his church in Kanungo will team up with Gulu City St. Paul Church of Lawii-adul for development.

“St. Paul Lawii-adul church of Uganda, Diocese of Northern Uganda Anglican Church, is going to be my coordination center for West Nile, Lango and Karamoja Sub-Regions.

There were gifts from the congregation and fegifoody. Rev. Canon Kenneth Oyet introduced his family, including grandchildren, as part of the two families’ reunion.

Christ Church Choir thanked both Rev. Kenneth Oyet and Rev. Kenneth Kanyankole with hymns written by John Charles Luwa, 2026.

“We praise the Lord, for Kenneth’s life, seventy years of joy and peace; Christ called him forth and made him new, in nineteen eighty-two he was saved.

Refrain

, from grace to glory, God led on: his faithful hand has been his guide. Through years of service, love and faith, God led Kenneth O-Yet with grace.