Museveni gives Orthodox Church in Uganda Shs30m, pledges Shs370m more

The Archbishop of the Orthodox Church in Uganda, Jonah Lwanga (R) claps for President Museveni (C) after he laid a foundation stone during the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the Uganda Hagia Sophia Orthodox Cathedral on May 5, 2019. PHOTO BY JOSEPH KIGGUNDU

President Museveni on Sunday gave members of the Orthodox Church in Uganda Shs30 million in cash and pledged to add them Shs270 million for the construction of a multi-billion shilling house of worship on one of Kampala City hills.

While presiding over a fundraising ceremony for the construction of Hagia Sophia Orthodox Cathedral as part of the celebrations to mark 100 years in service in Uganda, Mr Museveni also pledged additional Shs80 million for all the church members’ Sacco and another Shs20 million for the church leaders’ Sacco. The Sacco is led by Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo.
The president also promised to mobilise resources from the orthodox fraternity in Eritrea, Egypt, Sabia, Ethiopia and Russia, among other countries for the construction of Hagia Sophia Orthodox Cathedral in Uganda.

“I will coordinate with the Orthodox fraternity in those countries and use diplomatic channels to mobilise resources from those areas to support the construction of this church,” he said.
The fundraising started off with the auctioning of Mr Museveni’s portrait which was bought at Shs152m.

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The Shs15b Orthodox Church will sit on one of Kampala’s vantage Namungoona Hill, on Hoima Road, just some six kilometres off the city centre.

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This magnificent house of worship will bring to a high point nearly 100 years of the Orthodox faith in Uganda, which curiously started without any foreign missionary work.
The Vicar General, Fr Paul Mutaasa, says the journey of the Orthodox Church began and continues to flourish by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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