Vatican has not confirmed Pope’s visit, says Archbishop Lwanga

Kampala Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga has said Vatican is yet to confirm Pope Francis’ second visit to Uganda.
“The Pope is also a head of state and wherever he goes, the head of state of the country he’s visiting has to first write to him. There's no confirmation yet by the Vatican of the Pope’s expected trip to Uganda,” Dr Lwanga said.
The archbishop also dismissed reports that he asked for Shs9 billion from government to prepare for the Pope’s visit.

He was on Sunday speaking during a mass at Kigungu Landing Site in Entebbe Municipality.
The mass organised was to mark 140 years anniversary since Fr. Simeon Loudel Marpel, commonly known as Mapeera and Bro Amans Delimans, the first Catholic missionaries to introduce Christian evangelism in Uganda.

“I want to make it clear I have never asked government for Shs9 billion for the preparation of the Pope’s visit and whatever the media is writing is false. Some journalists reportedly called the minister for Finance Mr Matia Kasaijja asking him to confirm if it’s true that I asked for this money and this is what he replied. What I know is that government has to fulfil the promise for the construction of Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo but I don’t know the Shs9 billion,” Dr Lwanga said.

According to him, the money used for construction of the Martyrs shrine in Namugongo was given to them by the president as compensation for part of their land where Entebbe Airport is.
”Some of the money was used in Munyonyo and the other was used for upgrading Namugongo Shrine. However, it wasn’t enough and the government promised to give us support but I told them to get in touch with Roko Construction Company which is in charge of upgrading the Catholic Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo. But up to now, we have never received this money,’’ he said.