A second-year law student at Kampala International University (KIU) is receiving medical treatment after sustaining injuries during a Good Friday passion play dramatisation in Kampala — injuries he suffered in the course of portraying Jesus Christ during the iconic “Way of the Cross” walk.
Dennis Zziwa, who was selected to play the role of Jesus Christ at Our Lady of Africa Church’s Good Friday commemorations, sustained physical injuries from the beatings that are part of the dramatisation of Christ’s suffering and crucifixion journey.
The injuries were serious enough to require immediate medical attention on site from Red Cross staff, and he was subsequently transferred to Lamone Health Centre in Luzira for further treatment.
What Happened
The “Way of the Cross” — also known as the Stations of the Cross — is one of the most significant Catholic devotional traditions observed on Good Friday each year. At Our Lady of Africa Church, the commemoration included a live dramatic re-enactment of Christ’s Passion, with Zziwa chosen to physically portray Jesus Christ through the walk.
As part of the dramatisation, Zziwa endured beatings consistent with the biblical narrative of the flagellation of Christ — a physically demanding and painful element of the re-enactment that, on this occasion, resulted in injuries significant enough to require medical intervention.
Red Cross staff who were present at the event administered initial treatment. Given the nature of his injuries, however, he was transferred to Lamone Health Centre in Luzira for further medical care
