Janani Luwum

Who is Janani Luwum?

Janani Jakaliya Luwum rose from a modest upbringing in northern Uganda to become one of the most influential Christian leaders in modern African history. Ordained an Anglican priest, he was consecrated Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda at Gulu in 1969 and, five years later, was appointed Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Boga-Zaire, becoming only the second African to hold that position. As archbishop from 1974, he became an outspoken critic of the increasingly violent rule of President Idi Amin, publicly condemning arbitrary killings and disappearances at a time when few dared to speak out. In February 1977, after church leaders delivered a formal letter of protest to Amin, Luwum was arrested alongside two government ministers. The official account claimed he died in a car accident, but he had in fact been shot several times, and it is widely accepted he was murdered on Amin's orders. His death made him a symbol of moral courage under dictatorship, and Uganda has observed a public holiday in his honor on 16 February since 2015.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Janani Luwum" · Dictionary of African Christian Biography, "Luwum, Janani Jakaliya" · Anglican Communion News Service, coverage of Janani Luwum commemorations