A cloud of anger hangs over Mwererwe village in Gombe Division, Nansana Municipality, as residents accuse Pastor Jackson Ssenyonga — proprietor of a large piggery farm — of subjecting the community to an unbearable stench caused by the alleged dumping of hundreds of dead pigs.
According to locals, more than 500 pigs recently died at the farm and were disposed of within the surrounding neighbourhood, triggering protests and escalating tensions with the Christian Life Church leader.
Residents say they have made repeated pleas for action, but claim Pastor Ssenyonga has responded with mockery and dismissiveness.
“Whenever we complain, he tells us that if the smell is too much, we should leave so he can buy our land,” one resident lamented during a demonstration at the farm’s gate.
For three consecutive days, Rev. Nathan Balirwana Mugalu has publicly appealed to Pastor Ssenyonga via X, warning that the stench has rendered Mwererwe nearly uninhabitable. His messages have gone unanswered.
“Dear @Pr_Senyonga… Your piggery farm has become a problem to the entire community,” Rev. Mugalu wrote, noting that even parish priests cannot sleep because of the stench.
He further highlighted that the odour is affecting Mwererwe COU Parish, Mwererwe Catholic Parish, the local health centre, schools and homes — urging the pastor to prioritise community safety and environmental health.
Local leaders echo the frustration, saying Ssenyonga has repeatedly refused to meet them.
“We have asked that the farm be relocated, but instead he threatens people and boasts of being a powerful man,” said local leader Sekate.
When reporters visited the area, they were shown a dumping site where piles of dead pigs lay decomposing. Residents warned that whenever it rains, contaminated runoff flows into a nearby stream used by several households.
The consequences have been severe. At Our Lady of Assumption Mwererwe Catholic Church, catechist Namusoke Angel said Mass was recently halted because worshippers could no longer tolerate the smell.
“People were covering their noses. The priest left feeling sick,” she recounted.
Schools have also been affected, with teachers reporting that children struggle to remain in class without feeling nauseous.
Left with no alternative, residents are now pleading for presidential intervention, insisting that all attempts at dialogue have been shut down by what they describe as Pastor Ssenyonga’s “arrogance” and unwillingness to resolve the crisis.
