House of Prayer Ministries International lead pastor Aloysious Bujjingo has fired back and Next Media boss Kin Kariisa for allowing his journalists to use his platforms to attack him.
On Friday, Bujjingo joined 65 other graduands who graduated in different discipline at Kayiwa International University (KINTU).
KINTU is owned by Professor Simeon Kayiwa, who is also a Pastor at Namirembe Christian Fellowship. It is located along Balintuma Road, in Mengo.
Bujjingo, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Salt Media, the biggest and most popular Christian founded media house, graduated with a Bachelor of Theology and Integrated Studies.
After his graduation, some media houses led by NBS and Bukedde newspaper were quick to punch holes in Bujjingo’s degree.
During his Sunday Service yesterday, Bujjingo said, “I wanted to ask Frank Gashumba, since I always see him on NBS, and he is social, to help me ask his Muvandimwe colleague Kin Kariisa, what beef does he have against me. The true Beef.
“If I respect his degree, why is his establishments (media house) spreading wrong information that my degree is fake! They are spreading this wrong information ignorantly, not knowing that I’m not looking for a job. I’m an employer. I’m not looking for a job.”
He added, “When they alleged that I didn’t go to school, they give it publicity, when you go to school and finish studies, they say it is fake. When you get married, they blame you for it, yet we know that the number of women they have cannot be counted.”
GENESIS OF THE PROBLEM
The battle between Bujjingo, Kariisa and Vision Group (under Kabushenga), started when Bujjingo filed for divorce at the High Court family division.
Bujjingo wanted to divorce his wife Teddy Naluswa citing irreconcilable differences.
Naluswa denied Bujjingo’s allegations and vowed never to divorce him because it is against her faith.
During this battle, Naluswa used New Vision and Bukedde, all under Kabushenga by then to write stories that cheered her and castigated Bujjingo.
Later, Naluswa also got allies from Kin Kariisa’s NBS TV.
During Uncut Kalakata gossip show on NBS at 7:45pm, before it was shifted to 10:00pm for violating UCC rules, Bujjingo and Naluswa saga was always the lead story.
At the height of the saga, NBS published a video of the home of Bujjingo’s parents in Rwanda and the presenters of the show accompanied it with statements insinuating that he had failed to take care of his parent who are living in a small ram shacked house in Rwanda while their son is living large in Uganda.
Bujjingo, his wife Makula, his parents and Prof. Simeon Kayiwa (in red) after his Graduation
This video and the demeaning statements that accompanied it angered the Salt Media boss and he vowed never to forgive Kariisa for allowing his journalists to invade his parents private space.
Sensing the trouble their son was in, after the controversial video, Bujjingo’s parents quickly travelled to Uganda (from Rwanda) and apologetically told their son that their grand daughter (Doreen Gift Bujjingo) tricked them and recorded a video of their home in Rwanda without their knowledge which she gave to NBS.
They told their son that they thought that their grand daughter was recording moments between a ‘Muzzukulu’ (grand daughter) and her grandparents, but they were shocked to hear news that they were on TV and all over social media.
Bujjingo’s parents further told him that they were ashamed of what their grand daughter did. They told him that they are proud of the simple life they are living in Rwanda and the support he gives them was enough.
During one of his sermons, a bitter Bujjingo castigated Kariisa and asked him how he would feel if his parents’ private space was invaded and exposed.
“I can forgive him (Kariisa) for all the wrongs and malice from his media house, but exposing my innocent parents and bringing them into our issues was inhuman,” Bujjingo told a friend.
Meanwhile, Kariisa’s NBS kept firing in the stories for Naluswa and against Bujjingo supported by New Vision and Bukedde, led by Robert Kabushenga by then.
When the battle subsided and court started hearing Bujingo’s divorce case, NBS went mute on the matter.
Along the way, Kabushenga was fired as Vision Group CEO, and later, his colleague Godfrey Kulubya, who was the head at Bukedde newspaper was forced into retirement.
It looked like the war was over.
KABUSHENGA IN THE MIX
Fast forward last weekend, when Bujjingo graduated from KINTU, Bukedde ran a front page screaming headline in their Sunday edition saying: “Bugingo: Engeri Kayiwa Gy’amusibye diguli ey’ebicupuli” translated as, “How Kayiwa gave Bujjingo a fake degree”.
This angered Bujjingo who decided to turn guns on Kabushenga blaming him for nurturing the journalism that only looks for bad things at Vision Group.
Still in his Sunday sermon yesterday, Bujjingo said, “I see some people like Robert Kabushenga crying in videos on different social media platforms. He is saying he is broke since he is not working, but so many people lost jobs while he was at the helm of New Vision.
“He will be answerable before the Lord for the people and businesses he killed. You cannot tell me that you head a company but you do not know what is going on.”
He added, “I manage Salt Media group with a lot of wisdom from God, but if my editorial team is going to air or broadcast some things, they first ask for my opinion.
“Even when I don’t have too much knowledge about it. They have to ask me and I use my God given knowledge to stop it especially if it will lead to breaking someone’s family or integrity or business. The standard that Kabushenga built at Vision Group was to look out for bad things only.”
Bujjingo asserted that Kabushega is lying about being broke, “He is not struggling like he says. He made a lot of money soiling our names and even set up a farm, he is ok. But he is now making an alarm to attract the President’s attention.”
IS BUJJINGO’S DEGREE GENUINE OR FAKE: KINTU SPEAKS OUT
When theGrapevine spoke to Prof. Kayiwa on phone, he declined to comment on the matter until after two days.
“Get back to me after two days. In two days, I will be able to comment on that matter,” Kayiwa told theGrapevine on phone.
KINTU was given a stamp of approval by National Council of Higher Education (MCHE) and given an operation license number UIPL027 on 28th September, 2015.
However, Bukedde newspaper on Sunday quoted an anonymous source saying that NCHE wrote to Kayiwa in 2018 asking him to fulfil some requirements in 6 month.
The paper further alleged that in March 2020, after failing to fulfill the requirements, NCHE revoked KINTU license.
However, independent sources at KINTU intimated to theGrapevine that the University is an affiliate of United Graduate College and Seminary International (UGCS), a biblical seminary that teaches through E-learning.
When we searched the internet for UGCS, we finally traced their website. They described themselves as, “A non-traditional, online, biblical, Skills & Philosophy education where your smart phone can be your campus!”
UGCS has offices in Kenya (under Prof. Jared Akama Onyari) and Mozambique (under Prof. Nathan Kahara).
By Grapevine Team
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