President Museveni on Wednesday afternoon met and held discussions with leaders from Kabarole who are also on the committee organizing this year's Martyrs Day celebrations and pledged Shs1 billion support and renovation of the Fort Portal cathedral.
The delegation that met the president at his country home in Rwakitura, Kiruhura Distric, was led by the Minister of Tourism, Tom Butime and the Bishop of Fort Portal catholic diocese, Rt. Rev Robert Muhiirwa.
“I am going to give you Shs1 billion for the two, i.e. the cathedral roof and Martyrs Day preparations,” Mr Museveni said.

Uganda Episcopal Conference selected Fort Portal Diocese to spearhead the preparations for this year’s Martyrs Day slated on June 3, 2022.
The diocese last led Martyrs celebrations 25 years ago.
Bishop Muhiirwa said the diocese drafted a working budget of about Shs1 billion to prepare for the celebrations.

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“As a custom, the celebration of this noble event is preceded by numerous preparations with spiritual and material mobilization,” he said.
The other pertinent issue he raised during the meeting with the president, was the cathedral’s roof, which he said requires renovation.
 The diocese has a budget of about Shs2 billion to renovate the cathedral roof but the authorities at the diocese said they first halted fundraising for the roof and embarked on raising funds for martyrs Day celebration.
 “Whereas the entire community was mobilized to support this campaign, the Shs2 billion required to renovate the roof cannot be raised easily moreover, with the current effects of the pandemic," Bishop Muhiirwa appealed.

The Bishop commended the President and the Government for the tremendous programmes aimed at helping Ugandans improve their household incomes, like the Emyooga programme and Parish Development Model (PDM).
“Mr President, the Emyooga programme that has been running as well as the Parish Development Model that was launched this year in February are so much crucial to halt and reverse the trend of poverty and to help Uganda become united, caring and a democratic society committed to making the basic needs affordable,” Bishop Muhiirwa said.

Mr Butime said the Namugongo Catholic and Protestant shrines are big tourist sites that need support and promotion to be able to attract both local, regional and international tourists.
According to the minister, the shrines have potential to compete with holy places like the Vatican and Mecca, if they are supported and promoted well.
The president also addressed their concern of enabling them to grow more tea and coffee in the area, he promised to buy for them three tractors and one truck so that they can mobilise people to enter into the money economy.

“The tractors, I will give you three and one lorry. Please, now focus more on mobilising your people to move from subsistence farming to modern ways of creating wealth," the President said.
The meeting was attended by Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Hon. Tom Butime, the MP Fort Portal central Division, Hon. Alex Ruhunda and Monsignor Isaiah Mayombo among others.