Lango Diocese Donates Shs 8.5 Million to Support Thanksgiving Prayer for LRA Returnees

16 August 2026, 11:35 am

By Isaac Erick Odongo

The Diocese of Lango has committed Shs 8.5 million towards preparations for a major thanksgiving prayer service for former LRA captives and returnees, as religious leaders and survivors prepare to gather in Lira next month.

The funds will support preparations for the thanksgiving service organized by the Lango Captives and Returnees Association, which brings together people who were abducted and affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency.

The thanksgiving service is intended to give survivors and their families an opportunity to thank God for their survival, return and restoration after years of captivity and displacement.

The Diocese’s financial support follows consultations between the Lango Captives and Returnees Association and religious leaders on how to organize the event and meet the logistical costs involved.

Speaking to QFM on August 14, 2026, shortly after a meeting at Lira Hotel, Abel Ogeny, the association’s coordinator and representative for northern Uganda, said the Diocese of Lango had agreed to provide Shs 8.5 million to help cover the costs of organizing the prayer service.

Ogeny said the financial support is expected to ease some of the burden on the organizers, who have been mobilizing resources to prepare for the event.

He said the association’s leadership is also continuing to look for additional support to meet other expenses ahead of the thanksgiving service.

Ogeny said the contribution comes at a time when the association is preparing to bring together a large number of former captives, returnees, religious leaders, families and other community members for the special prayers.

He added that the event is expected to provide an important platform for survivors to reflect on their experiences, give thanks for their return and pray for continued peace and healing in communities that were affected by the LRA conflict.

Rev. Tonny Joshua Olet, who spoke on behalf of the Lango religious leaders, said the Diocese considered the difficult experiences of people who were abducted and forced into captivity during the insurgency before agreeing to support the initiative.

Olet said the thanksgiving should remain centred on prayer and giving thanks to God for protecting the survivors and enabling them to return to their communities.

He appealed to members of the public, particularly people from the affected communities, to support and participate in the event.

Some of the retunees who spoke to QFM also expressed optimism that the prayers would provide an opportunity for former captives and their families to seek God’s continued guidance, healing and blessings.

They said the event could also strengthen solidarity among communities that experienced the effects of the LRA insurgency and provide an opportunity to remember the difficult past while looking forward to a more peaceful future.

The thanksgiving prayer service is scheduled for September 12, 2026, at Boroboro Cathedral in Lira City.

Organizers expect the event to attract more than 1,000 people from the Lango and Acholi sub-regions, including former captives, returnees, their relatives, religious leaders and other members of the public.

Hon. Sam Engola, Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Relief and Refugees, is also expected to attend the event as the guest of honour.

With the Diocese of Lango’s Shs 8.5 million contribution now committed, organizers say they will continue mobilizing additional resources to complete preparations and ensure that the thanksgiving service is successfully held.

For the former captives and returnees, the event is expected to serve not only as a religious gathering, but also as a moment to reflect on their journey from captivity to freedom and to give thanks for the opportunity to rebuild their lives and communities.