Before becoming a Christian, Apolo was a Muslim soldier against the Christians. He was also an avid hemp smoker. During his military service, he deserted and fled to Ankole where he joined the Protestants (Anglicans). He was attracted by the Christian life, especially the example of Mackay, a missionary from CMS/London who arrived in Uganda in 1878. He said: "At that time I was reading Matthew's Gospel which I liked very much, especially chapter five verse 13. (Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 5:13)This passage helped me to become a Christian and to abandon my military service."
Apolo left his country in December 1896 and walked over the Rwenzori mountains. When he saw the smoke beyond the river Semliki, he was convinced that there were human beings living there. He crossed the river and walked 50 miles through the forest to Boga. He only took along his Bible and his hoe. He carried his hoe to make sure he would survive in his new mission field because earlier, two other missionaries, Petero and Sedulaka, from Uganda who had come to Boga, had had to return home because they were not willing to work with their hands and could not feed themselves.
Apolo preached the gospel in Boga and some of the people became Christians. But the majority were offended by his preaching, because it was against traditional practices, especially polygamy and the drinking of alcohol. Chief Tabaro was one of those who were offended and as a result, he forbade the Christians to build a church and ordered them not to give Apolo any food, but instead to let him die of hunger or be driven away.
In 1898 the chief's sister who lived in Apolo's household died by falling accidently onto a spear that had been carelessly left in the tall grasses at a building site. Apolo was blamed for her death and was locked up, beaten and then sent to Uganda to be tried.
There he had a dream which greatly helped him in his spiritual life. He said: "I saw Jesus shining like the sun. He said to me, 'Take heart, for I am with you.' Since that year whenever I preach, people leave their old customs and repent."
When Apolo was released, chief Tabaro asked him to return to Boga and Apolo agreed. There the chief became a Christian and a close friend of Apolo.
Apolo was ordained a deacon on December 21, 1900 in Toro and then a priest in June 1903 in the Namirembe Cathedral. Contrary to Anglican tradition, he refused to wear the pastoral collar for personal reasons. Nevertheless, he did wear the liturgical robes.
Apolo declared the year 1921 "the year of the Gospel." Encouraged by the Lord, he took the gospel to the inhabitants of the forest: the Walese, the Wanyali, and the Wambuti (the latter are pygmies). He said: "Christ appeared before me as a man. It was like seeing a man who was my brother. He said to me: 'Go, preach in the forest, because I am with you. I am who I am--this is my Name.'"
He baptized pygmies for the first time in 1932.
Apolo died on May 30th, 1933 at Boga, his mission field. Contrary to tradition, he was buried with his head toward the west (not the east) at his own request. In doing so, his desire was to indicate that the gospel needed to be taken to the western part of the country. " Dictionary of African Christian Biography
