Archbishop Orombi Hits Back On Cattle Theft Saga

RETIRING ARCHBISHOP of the Church Of Uganda The Most Rev. Henry Luke Orombi has categorically stated that his noble name shouldn’t be dragged into matters he doesn’t know. He vehemently denies having a stake in cattle saga.

Archbishop Orombi in a letter dated July 11 2012, States that claims being touted around that a state House official stole his cows is untrue, baseless and demeaning to find that his name is being dragged into such trivial matters. Orombi was responding to media allegations in which Ms Naome K. Tumusiime claims that a senior State House official, Chris Barungi took off with 20 heads of cattle that had reportedly been given to the Archbishop and left in her custody. In a strongly worded letter copied to the Bishop of North Ankole Diocese, Bishop John Muhanguzi, the man of God partly puts it that; “To whom It May Concern. Naome Tumusiime: My Cows”

A few years ago I visited North Ankole Diocese and I was given 3 cows. I recommended that the Bishop gives those cows to Naome who was on the team and later on I asked her to give me money for the cows and she gave me Shs.2M and those cows she would keep them for herself. I did not expect to have those cows back. Anything regarding those cows should not be attributed to me because up to now I have no information about them. Any inconveniences caused using my name is highly regrettable…” However, as earlier claimed by Naome, Orombi in his letter categorically revealed that he knows about only 3 cows and not the 20 cows as claimed by the media reports.

Genesis Of The ‘Cow Saga’

The ongoing cow saga has been on-going since 2007 between Ms Naome and Chris Barungi. This is after Naome’s claims that she entrusted the Man of God’s animals with Barungi since her farm was too small. Barungi was first arrested in April this year and taken to Mbarara where he was arraigned in court and granted bail to defend himself from outside prison. “What is shocking is that the archbishop through his letter states that he knows nothing about the cows and was given money for them. So whose cows is she looking for and who is she going to hand them over to?,” an insider wondered. According to court documents, Barungi denied ever taking the animals in question and tasked his accuser (Naome) to produce documentary evidence to pin him. The case which resumes this month has taken a new twist with Barungi’s asking why Naome is tarnishing his name in public.

Who Is Naome?

Hailing from Nyakahita Village in Kiruhura District, the 38-year old Naome Kamwine is the estranged wife to UPDF officer, Col Sikaje Tumusiime. The couple has three children; two boys and one girl before they called it quits. Col. Sikaje attached to 2nd Division Makenke in Mbarara District though recently denounced her and even ordered her to stop using his name, Tumusiime. He told our snoop in a detailed interview last month that; “I separated with that woman five years back but I had never publicly said it. After we separated, I asked for a transfer from Kampala to Mbarara and I left her in Kampala doing her dubious work. Her name is Naome Kamwine and not Naome Tumusiime. People should stop calling me whenever she is in a scandal,” he said in an exclusive interview. She is battling another case of cattle theft in Mbarara court where she is accused of taking Robert’s car and failing to post the money to his account Currently, Naome resides in posh Fisher Apartments in Ntinda with his children.