It was supposed to be a Sunday morning of worship at All Saints Church in Abim, Uganda. Instead, a disagreement over who could address the congregation ended with a priest and a local council leader exchanging blows.
The confrontation involved Rev. Canon Richard Ongom, a retired clergy member serving on contract in the Diocese of North Karamoja, and Innocent Oyoo, the LCII chairperson for Waimer Ward in Abim Town Council. Footage circulating online shows the two men involved in a physical struggle inside the church, with congregants moving in as the situation escalated.
And then came the unusual detail at the centre of the incident: Oyoo later displayed marks on his arm which he said resulted from being bitten by the priest during the fight. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke confirmed that one of the men had shown marks of a bite, although investigators were still determining exactly what happened and whether either man would face charges.
The trouble reportedly began during announcements towards the end of the service. Oyoo said he wanted only two minutes to address worshippers with security information and details about an upcoming mosquito-net distribution exercise, saying he had been asked by security officials to pass on the information.
But Ongom gave a different account. He said Oyoo approached him at the start of the service and demanded to speak, yet had not obtained the required permission. The priest said the service had been dedicated to Uganda Christian University and already had scheduled speakers, adding that announcements should be submitted to church administration in advance.
The disagreement then became physical.
The video circulating on social media has brought renewed attention to the confrontation, while the Church of Uganda has said it is concerned by what happened and is allowing police to establish the circumstances. The church has also clarified that its procedures place the priest presiding over a service in charge of worship and other activities taking place during the service.
Both men have reported the matter to police, statements have been recorded and Police Form 3 documents have reportedly been issued to both parties. No arrests had been made at the time of the latest reports, while police continued assessing whether the incident could amount to affray or whether one of the men should be treated as a victim.
For a congregation that had gathered for worship, the morning ended far from the quiet conclusion expected from a Sunday service. What began with a request to speak had turned into a physical confrontation, and, unusually, a police case involving an alleged bite inside a church.
