A source close to Augustine Yiga, has revealed that the preacher is ‘gravely ill.’
Revival Christian Church Kawaala founder and lead pastor Yiga’s health has continued to worsen sending shock waves among his followers and family members.
The once flamboyant man of God also known as “Abizaayo (returns evil spirits to the sender) has been in and out of medical facilities and was on Saturday rushed back to Nsambya Hospital.
An insider at Nsambya says Yiga is battling what has been termed as “liver complications” since his return from a pastoral trip in South Africa.
Yiga was first admitted at Nsambya Hospital a fortnight back for four days before his family request for hospice supervision at his Lubaga home but towards the weekend his sitution deteriorated.
Fortunately, church goers at his Kampala worship house led by his son Andrew Jjengo have been for days fasting and beseaching God to save Yiga’s life.
Delivering his sermon during yesterday’s socially distanced service, Yiga’s son suspiciously dodged interfacing with his father’s followers preferring to preach via a Livelink from the family’s ABS Television studios.
He has been criticized for compulsorily charging the churchgoers money for counseling sessions at Revival Christian Church, an act that many see as a way of exploitation of his predominantly urban poor congregation. He has also been accused of paying people to stage miracles and demanding for money from his people for special prayers.
Yiga was planning to make a comeback with the ‘Miracle making rings and Red pens’ costing Shs100,000 each. His son Jengo, also the caretaker of Yiga’s business, would later return with anointing prayer services where believers are being required to Shs100,000 to be anointed with Olive oil.
Who is Pastor Augustine Yiga aka Abizaayo?
Infamous for stage-managed miracles and bizarre sex affairs on his television, Yiga also attracted the wrath of Uganda Communications Commission [UCC] which suspended his licence in 2017. Yiga has also been criticized by many Ugandans for claiming that he casts out spirits from the possessed, heals the sick, and brings wealth. He even claims to returns estranged lovers to the heartbroken.
His situation worsened when Ethics Minister, Fr. Simon Lokodo, pressured local pastors to get theological training.
In May 2020 released on bail by Court after spending over a month at Kitalya Prison the following accusations of doing an act likely to spread infection of the Covid-19 disease. The prosecution asserted that on March 27, 2020, at Revival Christian Church-Kawaala, Rubaga division in Kampala before various television stations, the accused stated that there is no coronavirus in Uganda and Africa, which were broadcast on various television stations.
The pastor has been accused of getting too friendly with the ladies in his church during counselling sessions.
Yiga was in 2011 embroidered in a case where Brenda Nalubega, one of the followers accused him of raping, impregnating and infecting her with HIV/AIDS.
Ms Nalubega reported to be deceased in 2014 said then that she first got in contact with Pastor Yiga at his Church while seeking ‘blessings’ for her imminent give away and marriage around 2007.
It was during the subsequent ‘blessing meetings’ that the Pastor allegedly raped Ms Nalubega, resulting in a pregnancy which would later give rise to a baby boy named (names withheld because he is a minor), the subject of a protracted legal battle for child neglect.
The two then fell out after pastor Yiga denied fathering the child, prompting Ms Nalubega to report a child neglect case against him to FIDA. With the heat now turned on, the Pastor was ordered to take a DNA test, something he declined and instead opted to care of both the child and mother.
After sometime the Pastor reneged on his commitment, forcing Ms Nalubega to drag him to the Nabweru court, where the magistrate ordered Yiga to pay a monthly upkeep of Shs150.000.
In 2015, Ms Nalubega’s lawyers sought to have that figure revised upwards to Shs800.000, a prayer that was granted by High Court Judge Muse Musembi.
