A segment of Ugandans on social media continue to criticize Apostle Grace Lubega of Phaneroo Ministries for his remarks regarding cultural names, particularly those from the Baganda tribe, one of the renown tribes in Uganda.
This backlash comes in response to a viral video in which Lubega encouraged the Baganda people to forsake their indigenous names, claiming that many of these names harbor concealed connections to spirits.
“In Buganda, we have names like Ndawula, Nandawula, those are names of spirits of sudden disease and death. People with such names fall sick for two, three, four days, and they die. They don’t live long. It’s very hard to find a 90-year-old Ndawula, not impossible, but very hard. And all of them die sudden deaths because every time they are called, something wakes up and says, ‘I have a responsibility.’ Is he not rightly named?” he noted during a sermon.
The remarks were opposed by many saying African names are not related to evil but just identity and heritage.
One of the citics called Mordecai Muriisa through X page @MordecaiMuriisa even laboured to offer an informative take that contextualizes the significance of African names, traditions, and cultural practices, highlighting the importance of cultural sensitivity and appreciation.
Hustler’s journal @HustlerJournal noted; “Like other countries there should be institutes that pastors like Apostle Grace Lubega go to in order to be prepared than always giving there follows hard time to defend them time after time, Kati seriously how does this add up and at the end of the day the congregation claped”.
Kalaki Brian @KalakiBrian wrote: “Dear Apostle Grace Lubega, your ignorance should have boundaries. The name Grace is originally a latin name for the three charities to the three goddesses of Charm, beauty and creativity. Christianity adopted it from Latin.Why werent your ancestors called grace before colonists?”.
