Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament, Betty Nambooze Bakireke is now a born-again Christian.
The 48-year-old has said she gave her life to Christ in India where she was advised to seek treatment for injuries she suffered on her spine following the September 27 parliamentary fracas, when security operatives evicted suspended legislators.
Nambooze told press at her home on Friday that after surgery, it was hard for her to move, stand or seat upright without external support. Expert medics expected her healing to take over two (2) weeks, but it happened in three (3) days following God’s intervention.
“When I was in India, I left Uganda with my doctor, Fred Tenywa – a health practitioner at Bugolobi Medical Centre – but she prays from Pr Bugingo’s Church. He had an app on his phone from where we listened to [sermons] from the Church Night Prayer,” she told media.
“After my surgery, it was hard for me to stand again let alone seat upright effortlessly. What gave me hard time most was inability to even change my body posture in bed without external support. The doctor had to help me in intervals with my husband, Henry Bakireke. It was hectic for them because I repeatedly requested to change for comfort. Doctors also told me I had to be patient for it would take a while for me to be able to move my body in bed singly,” she said.
“One day it was doctor [Fred Tenywa] meant to change my posture at night, but he turned on his phone to listen to the gospel – I too listened in, but along the way we both slept off,” she said.
Miraculous healing
“I had a dream in which it seemed as though I was in a Church – Pr Bugingo’s Church, but the message from the [phone] continued to play on,” she said.
In the dream, Nambooze said she was able to actively participate in the Church activity, turning her body effortlessly. This dream prompted her to move her body on the hospital bed however, causing her a lot of pain which forced her to wake up.
The doctor too was awakened by the incident. Nambooze says in the due process, she realized that she could suddenly change her body without external support from medical staff.
“The next morning the [senior] doctor was alerted about what transpired during the night and was shocked that I moved my body,” she continued.
Nambooze was hence forth able to move her body and was discharged the following day.
“Doctors had thought it would take me about two weeks of receiving external aid to change posture on bed but it happened in 3 days – All I can say is Praise be to God, I experienced a great miracle – I now share my testimony,” she said.
Receiving Christ
“The expert doctors themselves told me that it is God who gives life and that my very healing was in His hands – I told my husband you know what; you will share this, I’m confessing Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior right here,” she said, noting that they [surgeons] prayed for her before the surgery asking God for wisdom.
“When you are born-again you are not afraid of death, but I had received assurance from God that I was to successfully go through this,” she stated.
On being a Catholic
“Catholicism is a fellowship, we meet together and worship God, but i came to understand that their is need to have a personal relationship with your God. Even if you hold a hundred masses but have not started a relationship with God , it is useless. The most important thing for me is having a personal relationship with my God and I hear him when I awake in the night – I pray and believe that he speaks with me,” she said.
Nambooze spoke of the paranoia that comes with not being born-again, “something that has led many to witch doctors over trivial matters.” He advice was that people should know that it is not in churches alone, but anyone can kneel and pray to God anywhere they are – “and He listens to you,” she said.
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