Museveni’s 40 Year- Rule is the Genuine Manifesto worth the Scrutiny- Part I

 

by Valerian Kkonde

Pearl News Service

President Yoweri Museveni after forty years in power is applying all sorts of means to cling to it. Are the past forty years the best way to gauge his uniqueness or failure to solve the crises he promised and used to justify his guerrilla war?

   When Yoweri Museveni was sworn in as President of Uganda in 1986, he gave the country a renewed hope for good governance, rule of law, peace and prosperity. This hope was hinged on the statement he emphasised that: “This is a fundamental change. It is not a mere change of guards.” Museveni kept rallying for local support with the promise of never witnessing the savage and primitive acts that brought a grim toll on our politics, economy and identity.

   The swearing-in was the result of a bloody five-year guerrilla war that rocked the country after the flawed, sham and contested 1980 elections. As one of the presidential candidates, on the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) party ticket, Museveni must have had first- hand experience of the effect and impact of an election that is nowhere near being free and fair. He gave the impression of a person best placed to bring this to an end.

   On January 15, 2026 Ugandans will be voting for their next President and Members of Parliament. Yoweri Museveni is one of the eight candidates vying for the presidency on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket. He will be clocking forty solid uninterrupted years as president!

   Forty years as president of Uganda is no mean achievement; he will be the first in the history of Uganda. But on the African continent other “great” men have accomplished this feat. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea. In power since August 1979, he has ruled for over 46 years, making him the longest-serving current president in the world. Paul Biya of Cameroon has been president since November 1982. He has been in office for over 43 years.

  Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Central Republic of the Congo has ruled for a total of approximately 41 years across two separate periods (1979-1992 and 1997-present), allowing him to reach the 40-year mark. 

   Of great concern and interest, is not merely the number of years but the quality of those years. Has Uganda witnessed a fundamental change as regards good governance, rule of law, peace and prosperity? What I consider as the greatest achievement of the forty-year Museveni rule is the demystifying of a man who always, and continues to do, portrayed himself as the missing link in Uganda’s realisation of good governance, rule of law, peace and prosperity.

   If Museveni had died early in his presidency, many Ugandans would have mourned him as the greatest and the man who was to lead the country to the promised land. But equating politics to the beautiful 90-minute game of football, Museveni has played the 90 minutes and has no excuse, nothing new to offer to the coach and the team as a whole. It’s time out for him!

   At stake is good governance, rule of law, peace and prosperity. After forty years as president, what else new can Museveni claim to be able to offer to Ugandans? At least he is no different from the previous dictators he claimed he wanted to have their chapter closed, but at most he has been worse than them all.

   While African history is abundant with cases of modern-day demagogues who have ruled for over forty years it is devoid of success stories. All there is to show is anarchy, dehumanising poverty, politically aggravated murders of opponents and robbery of public funds and resources. These so called “great” men have mutilated their constitutions and have accumulated obscene wealth. They have as well excelled in human rights abuses.

   First accusation is that they have not led their countries to the status of developed nations. Characteristic of them all is dehumanising poverty and debts that have crippled their countries. Nothing meaningful has come out of the decades-long rule of these power-greedy men. Nothing at all. Overstaying in power has undoubtedly proved to be a curse to them and the countries.

   One of Uganda’s laughing stock is the 1995 Constitution which Museveni oversaw and has also turned into a state terror machine. Presidential term limits and age limits were literally mutilated like the Female Genital Mutilations among the Sabiny women. This is horrible! And once this was effected, all the dreams of a fundamental change were dashed. The constitution has been so trivialized that the order of the day is to go to bed in one constitution only to wake up in a new one!

   By the close of the 2024/25 Financial Year, Uganda’s debt stands at a whopping 116 trillion shillings! In the same period, the Inspector General of Government (IGG) disclosed that 10 trillion shillings is stolen every year! But that whenever the IGG tries to prosecute these thugs they hide in State House. This is frank speaking! The IGG then shuttered the mask when she called for a life-style audit of the newly rich.

   Typical of Africa’s demagogues who have outlived their usefulness and are driven by greed and wickedness, President Museveni ordered the IGG to back off because the money will then have to be invested outside the country! The Old Man with a hat has overstayed to the extent of replacing institutions with himself. For anything to have a semblance of going forward the Old Man has to physically be involved and he always dedicatedly honours the pleas of the people, for his magic hand, with a broad smile.

   In September 2005, donors agreed to write off US $ 3.7 billion of Uganda's foreign debt owed to institutions like the World Bank, IMF, and African Development Bank. The IMF and World Bank officially extended 100% debt relief to Uganda in December 2005 and June 2006, respectively, which effectively wiped out most of its remaining external debt to these institutions. 

   These cancellations were intended to redirect funds towards critical social services and infrastructure, such as education and health, to help the country achieve its Millennium Development Goals. But what is the state of education, health and the roads?

  One wonders what the situation would have been like today if the country had not received the write off of 2005.

   In 1987 among the steps taken to improve the economy was the devaluation of the Uganda shilling by 77 per cent. This is remembered as the removal of three zeros from the money every person owned.

Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu also known as Bobi Wine is the presidential candidate on the National Unity Platform party. He is calling for a new Uganda where rule of law, justice, peace and respect for human  dignity are the norm.

   One reason for lack of meaningful financial transformation is the institutionalised robbery of public funds and resources. For an economy like the one for Uganda it is suicidal to allow it to be robbed of 10 trillion shillings a single year. Imagine what will happen when the oil taps begin to flow. At least seven trillion shillings is expected from the oil revenue every year. The extent of robberies being witnessed in the country simply confirm that oil in Uganda, like in other African countries, is a curse.  

   Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate Nandala Mafabi castigated the Electoral Commission for designating few days for the campaigns. Nandala says that the roads are in a dire state and they cannot connect to districts easily. At times they need a full day of travel to catch up on campaign program but they have proved to be bad miracles-workers so far.

   As Uganda continues to writhe under Museveni’s hazardously conceived policies, students have had to cope without teachers for the greater part of this third term. The strikes were the result of the decision to pay science teachers high salaries while the arts teachers were neglected. Even the doctors are faced with similar neglect, forcing many to flee the country for greener pastures. But remember, ten trillion shillings is stolen every year before a man with a hat who has been in power for forty years and is clinging on at all cost!

   The 40-year rule has shown how Museveni is so confident with the magic in his family that he has had to appoint his wife Janet Kataha as the Minister of Education and Sports. Their son Gen Muhozi Kainerugaba is the Commander of the Defence Forces.

   General Salim Saleh, the President’s younger brother is in charge of the billion shillings Poverty Alleviation project. He doubles as the Presidential Adviser on security. Other relatives too occupy key government positions to ably demonstrate the high level of commitment Museveni has to keep things moving. Feel free to call this nepotism, impunity, arrogance or whatever.

   And on many occasions Museveni has accused Ugandans of not being appreciative of what he has done to help them be president for forty years. Ugandans definitely are not happy about the family-rule system. To some, this is what it means to get drunk with power.

Senior Counsel Erias Lukwago is the Lord Mayor for Kampala. His unwavering demand for and defence of rule of law and human rights makes him a reliable partner in search for good governance.

    For majority Ugandans, the forty years of Museveni rule are synonymous with poverty, rotten health and education systems and oppression. Uganda’s educated and youthful generation is being wasted away in the Middle East in what is termed as modern day slavery.

   Nandala Mafabi painted a dramatic picture about Ugandan youth riding boda-boda (motorcycles used for transport). He said that the youth ride boda-boda which are worn out, putting on worn out trousers and the youth themselves are worn out.

   Land-grabbing is an evil that is synonymous with the Museveni rule. People are becoming refugees in their own country and losing their treasured identity. This evil is getting a lot of protection from the security agencies and further entrenches the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

   The continued toiling of Ugandans who do not reap the rewards of their sweat confirms that there is a policy problem and not a resource problem. It is only in Uganda where Chinese who came as investors are now accomplished hawkers like the hapless Ugandans. The tax regime is so hostile to Ugandans that even when they complain, it is the interests of foreigners that have to get the upper hand fueling rumours that the foreigners are mere fronts for the powerful politicians. Instead of investing here, they are siphoning the country of the meagre resources. The debate rages on whether to call them investors or leaches. 

   Museveni has publicly boasted that in his family, peasants ended with his parents. But he has not whispered to Ugandans the secret to his success. This has left many guessing that it is the state coffers that he is privy to that can explain the fundamental change the family has undergone.

   With 70% of the population engaged in agriculture, one would expect that this is the sector that would have received priority in the last forty years but it is not the case. The numerous poverty alleviation programmes that have characterised this regime have flatly failed to alleviate Ugandans from the clutches of dehumanising poverty. It is under Museveni that the country continues to witness the would-be beneficiaries of poverty alleviation programs becoming poorer and poorer, while those who head the programs become richer and richer.

   The Cooperative movement that was responsible for the thriving of the agricultural sector and the economy at large, were scrapped by Museveni after he had robbed them of their money to fund his guerrilla war. They were, and would still be the best today, the solution to the problems of poverty afflicting regions of the country. In the North there was the tobacco, in the East it was cotton and in Buganda it was coffee. It is the latter that managed to revive coffee-growing while the other regions compete for the trophy of the poorest region in this once pearl of Africa.

   In the true spirit of protecting the gains, Museveni constructed a coffee plant in Ntungamo worth over five billion shillings. This is a region that has nothing to do with growing coffee. Was this in the name of value addition or envy for Buganda’s successful contribution to the coffee sector? To this add the dissolving of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority which had teamed up with the Buganda kingdom to revive the growing of coffee in the kingdom. Today Uganda is ranked first in Africa, in coffee export and earned at least eight trillion shillings. Seventy percent of the Uganda coffee is grown in Buganda kingdom. Indeed Museveni’s rule is a policy catastrophe not a resource one.

   Ntoroko and Bundibugyo are the main cocoa- growing areas in Uganda; they contribute 70% of the crop grown in Uganda. Forty years later, the region wallows in dehumanising poverty as they continue to sell cocoa beans. But when one hears Museveni talk about value addition, from morning to evening, fears arise whether the old man is becoming a parrot!

   Warning humanity against the temptation of accumulating obscene wealth, Pope Francis (RIP) had this to say: “When people become self-centred and self-enclosed, their greed increases. The emptier a person’s heart is, the more he or she needs things to buy, own and consume. It becomes almost impossible to accept the limits imposed by reality. In this horizon, a genuine sense of the common good also disappears. As these attitudes become more widespread, social norms are respected only to the extent that they do not clash with personal needs.”

   Politics remains as the only viable option out of poverty under Museveni. But here too one has to be a staunch supporter of the Old Man with a hat. Actions clearly tell the absurdity of Uganda’s bastard politics as introduced by Milton Obote continues to haunt the country. The words and actions from Museveni’s government clearly indicate that it is criminal to compete against Museveni. Since previous rulers too did exactly this, there is no fundamental change to brag about. May be for the newly rich! And they are right to “protect the gains.”

   Erias Nalukoola, MP for Kawempe East, accuses Museveni of the mentality that those who compete with him must be killed.

  “This is the opportunity to choose the people we want. You cannot call for elections yet order the security agencies to torture, abduct and beat your opponents. Those who don’t want to elect you must also be allowed to live.”

   During the 2021 election period, at least fifty young people were summarily killed in execution style. Many more were abducted and their where about still unknown. Abductions, torture and imprisonment without trial continue to this day specifically aimed at the members of the Opposition.

   For people’s voices and choices to be heard and respected, there must be systems, institutions and individuals deliberately positioned for this purpose. Pretence and incompetence are no substitutes for free and fair elections. Bastard politics continues to haunt Uganda because Museveni sees no life after State House. The more Museveni feels threatened or insecure, the more he becomes a threat and a danger to this country. He becomes melancholic when he thinks about a future without state power. This is where Uganda’s problems start.

   Winnie Byanyima, the wife of political prisoner Dr. Kizza Besigye, says that Museveni has overstayed to the extent that he is instead undoing the good he had been able to achieve. On November 16, 2025 politician Dr. Kizza Besigye and Haji Asadu Lutale made a year in jail since they were abducted in Nairobi from Riverside Hotel.

Martha Karua consults Dr. Kizza Besigye in one of their numerous court battles for human rights and constitutionalism in the Great Lakes Region.

   “Museveni is above the law and is doing what pleases him. But I want to tell him that time is coming to be out of power. He needs to retire. If he fails to make peace with Ugandans, they too will not treat him well and his family.”

   Elias Lukwago is one of the finest legal brains in Uganda. He is a member of People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) and the Lord Mayor of Kampala. He accuses the Judiciary to be in bed with Museveni when it comes to torturing political opponents and stifling democracy in Uganda.

  Dr. Besigye was Museveni’s personal doctor during the guerrilla war but ever since he accused Museveni of betraying the cause for which they waged the bloody war, he has been in and out of jail on a number of occasions. While a myriad of trumped up charges have been brought against him, he has always emerged on top of the evil plots.

   Lukwago maintains that the East African Community leaders have taken to collaborating to entrench authoritarianism in the region, and accuses Museveni of being the architect of this evil network.

   Kenyan lawyer come politician Martha Karua, is Besigye’s lead lawyer and concurs with Lukwago and the human rights activists.

   “There is a conspiracy among Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania to trash rule of law and entrench authoritarianism in the region. This calls for concerted effort among all the stake holders in the region.”

Monsignor Joseph Mugambe shares Joy of 100 Years of life and 70 of Mowing Souls for the King of the Universe

 

by Valerian Kkonde

ACCPU

 

Msgr. Joseph Mary Mugambe during Mass. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ ACCPU

It was the perfect decision to celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King while congratulating Msgr. Joseph Mary Mugambe upon his 70^th priestly anniversary and 100 years of the gift of life.

This Solemnity, in the Roman Catholic Church, marks the end of the Liturgical Year, thus proclaiming aloud that Jesus is the King of the Universe; He is the Centre of everything. So Christ the King Parish- in the centre of Kampala- had every reason to celebrate on November 23, 2025 as it also marked 95 years of being a tent of encounter with God, and even recognise their long-serving and dedicated parishioners both living and resting in the Lord.

“According to the Baptism Register at Gayaza Catholic Parish, I was born on December 5, 1925,” says Msgr. Mugambe in his reflections on this tremendous journey of winning souls for the King of the Universe.

 

How can I repay the Lord’s goodness to me? Some of the gifts brought to the Altar. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ ACCPU

Born to the Catechist, Peter Kabbankolo and the Sacristan Mary Nakayima in Gayaza, Msgr. Mugambe recounts that it was, the now Servant of God, Msgr. Aloysius Ngobya who presided over the Holy Mass when he completed his first religious instructions.

“I still remember well telling me to be firm in the faith. And when I reached home, I asked my mother and brothers whether they had heard what the priest had told me.

My mother responded that she, together with my father, had dedicated me to God. She kept repeating these words from time to time and they stuck in my mind.”

Indeed the call to priesthood kept ringing aloud and in 1942, together with 41 companions, he joined St. Joseph’s Seminary Nyenga. That was after P.5 in St. Peter’s Nsambya. He had studied P.1 to P. 4 in Gayaza. While in Nyenga they studied Mathematics, Geography, Latin, English and Science.

 

The choir animating the Mass. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ ACCPU

“Being obedient and interested in learning from our European formators played a key role in my success.”

Academics aside, Mugambe learnt to mow grass and even taught himself to use the mowing machine to the great delight of his Rector. This he has done in many places where he has worked as a priest. Talk of holistic formation.

    “Through your ministry, countless souls have been touched, comforted and inspired to grow closer to God. Thank you for being such a steadfast shepherd, teacher of faith and a living witness to God’s grace”- Daughters of St. Paul

 

In 1949 he joined St. Mary’s Major Seminary Ggaba. They were five from the number that had started the formation in Nyenga, but were joined by one companion from Kenya.

On October 2, 1955 Bishop Vincent Billington ordained Joseph Mary Mugambe a priest in Nsambya. The thanksgiving Mass was at the Parish in Gayaza.

As a priest, the first appointment was in the present day Jinja Catholic diocese. He was posted in St. Joseph Parish which is the present day Cathedral, for two years, and then moved to Kiyunga. He also worked in Kabimbiri and Nkokonjeru which are in present day Lugazi diocese. Nsambya and Our Lady of St. Jude Naggulu have too experienced his zeal for the priestly ministry.

 

A section of the congregation. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ ACCPU

From September 9, 1994 to date, Msgr. Mugambe has been a zealous and exemplary priest in the capital city Kampala- Christ the King Parish. Today he is confined to the wheelchair and bed and is assisted by a nurse; he has indeed accepted to diminish while Christ the King increases.

“Msgr. Mugambe Joseph has lived and served here at Christ the King Parish for the last thirty one years which is 45% of his seventy years in the priestly Ministry. This community has been blessed by your presence and service especially in the confessional box.

In your life story you indicate that you were very gifted in taking care of compounds and beautifying them: in Nyenga Seminary, Ggaba Seminary and Namugongo Martyrs Shrine,” the Parish Priest Msgr. Gerald Kalumba complimented the Centenarian.

 

Media apostles, the Daughters of St. Paul, were part of the congregation. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ACCPU

“Here at Christ the King Parish you have mowed the souls of many of us and made them beautiful before the Lord. You have been so devoted and dedicated and the confessional box is the landmark of your stay at Christ the King. It is a pleasure and gratification to be remembered for doing the work for which you were ordained.”

Msgr. Kalumba praised and thanked the nurse, Isaac Magomu for “being brave and courageous, and for supporting Msgr. Mugambe with dignity and honour.” He complimented Msgr. Mugambe for discipline and hard work. He said that Msgr. would have breakfast, and work the whole day without lunch. He added that this made the other priests to ensure that they are around for supper so as to give him company.

In his homily, the Archbishop of Kampala Paul Ssemogerere pointed out that Pope Pius II instituted the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe in 1925 in response to the secularism that was rampant. He invited us to honour Christ because He loved us and came to serve us.

 

Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere congratulates Msgr. Mugambe with a gift. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ACCPU

“Christ’s kingship is rooted in the cross. It is on the cross that He saves us and defeats death. On the cross the thief recognised His Kingship and on behalf of other sinners, he pleads for mercy. This reminds us that Christ’s Kingship is of mercy and forgiveness. It is different from the kingdoms of giving orders and commands.”

The Archbishop urged the faithful to take courage like the thief on the cross, to go to Jesus because the whole of humanity is weak and sinful. He told them to embrace Christ’s qualities of compassion, integrity and service.

“Christ the King invites us to embrace service rooted in love for others.”

At the time when Msgr. Mugambe came to Christ the King Parish, the Archbishop was the parish priest. When he was chosen as Bishop for Kasana- Luweero Catholic diocese in 2008, it was Msgr. Mugambe who presented him to the ordaining Bishop.

“Msgr. Mugambe left me in Kasana- Luweero but I later found him here again.”

 Msgr. Mugambe with the priests. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ACCPU

The Archbishop referred to Msgr. Mugambe as a very disciplined and obedient priest. He added that even if he is in pain, he will never complain. He too thanked Isaac Magomu, the caretaker, for a job well-done.

“Whenever there is work to do, he will simply say that if the Parish Priest says that I do that, I will do it. And he will do it obediently. That is a very good example to us as priests and religious. When I arrived this morning, I asked him what he would want me to do for him and he said that I should join him to thank God for the one hundred years.

We pray that God keeps you going.”

 

Msgr. Mugambe with family members. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ACCPU

Spicing up the day, the Archbishop remarked that he knows Msgr. Mugambe as a priest who loves eating cakes and drinking Coca Cola. But that God has spared him the diabetes challenge, adding that he is as old as the St. Mary’s Cathedral Lubaga. Centenary celebrations of the Cathedral were held on October 26, 2025.

Among those inspired by Msgr. Mugambe’s priestly ministry were his younger brothers and sister. Sister Maria Redemptor Namugambe (RIP) joined the Mary Reparatrix Congregation - Ggogonya and rests there. Emilio Ssenkubuge (RIP) too joined the seminary but did not make it to priesthood, but his two daughters: Sr. Flora Jude Namugambe and Sr. Clare Thaddeus Nabikolo followed their paternal aunt to the Mary Reparatrix Congregation. Fr. John Chrysostom Luyambi died while working in Kiyinda- Mityana diocese and is buried there.

Msgr. Mugambe is further grateful to the Lord for other priests who proudly refer to him as their inspiration to priesthood. Msgr. Richard Kayondo, the Vicar General of Lugazi diocese, and Fr. Professor Chrysostom Maviiri also of Lugazi diocese are some of the priests he inspired. More so, he says that he baptised the latter in 1957!

 

Msgr. Mugambe with his nieces Sr. Clare Nabikolo and Sr. Flora Namugambe. Younger sisters with grey hair are to his sides. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ACCPU

Sr. Clare Thaddeus Nabikolo threw the congregation into a bout of laughter when she revealed that at her time of celebrating 25 years in religious life, she came and invited her uncle to join the family in the celebrations. She narrated how Msgr. Mugambe replied that the Christians will come for confession while he was away, and turned down the invitation.

No one can doubt the Lord’s goodness to His faithful priest and for granting him his prayer which is drawn from Psalm 27:4

“There is one thing I ask of the LORD, only this do I seek: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD to inquire at his temple.”

Msgr. Mugambe is not forgetful of the parishioners and the priests he continues to work with. His former Parish Priest- the Archbishop of Kampala- His Grace Paul Ssemogerere as well as the current one Msgr. Kalumba Gerald are highly appreciated. Even before speaking, the

Fr. Frederick Kiwanuka shows the congregation one of the thrones made by Msgr. Mugambe. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ACCPU

Centenarian embodies gratitude, contentment, happiness and a life well lived. The memory is very stable, the eye sight and voice are all clear; more reasons to glorify the name of the Lord.

“In my time of illness, the Lord gave me a young man Isaac Magomu, who has looked after me so devotedly. He is my nurse twenty-four hours. God gave him to me as a gift. I am ever grateful. Thank you so much, Isaac.”

It is worth pointing out that Msgr. Mugambe also embodies resilience and faith; he is the priest who by his body language, words and actions speaks of firmness in his conviction and trust.

True to his pastoral zeal, when asked to address the congregation, Msgr. Mugambe talked about one of the enduring acts of ensuring that Christ reigns in the hearts of the people he is shepherding, that he is leaving the faithful.

 

Msgr. Mugambe addressing the congregation as Isaac Magomu holds the microphone. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ACCPU

The inspiration of making thrones for the Ostansorium whenever the Holy Eucharist is displayed for veneration and praises, came about when Pope Francis visited the country in 2015.

“I was one of the people who met the Pope in Lubaga Cathedral. At the end of the meeting I stayed behind while others went out. My mind was on the chair the Pope had used. But I was sad because the chair looked too ordinary to fit the successor of St. Peter. I went and kissed it.

Later I got inspired to come up with a chair that would fit the glory of the King of the Universe; at least something that would bring out something similar to that. I got a pen and started sketching the throne that had been drawn in my mind,” Msgr. Mugambe narrated to the attentive congregation.

Behind all this was the burning desire to help fellow priests and all the faithful to know more and praise God better. Bringing out the majesty of the King of the Universe was an assignment that he had to accomplish with perfection.

 

A section of the congregation. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ACCPU

The great surprise that Msgr. Joseph Mugambe met was that when he went out to get a carpenter to design the throne, the person he approached was a Muslim but that he perfectly brought the idea to life!

Msgr. Gerald Kalumba supported the project and the Centenarian then took it upon himself to contact the priest in charge of Liturgy in the Archdiocese. He too approved the project and what remained was getting the nod of the Archbishop who at that time was the late Cyprian Kizito Lwanga.

That the Archbishop immediately told him to make thrones for all the Parishes in the Archdiocese was proof that the project was indeed a divine undertaking. There is no further proof of this other than the request by two other dioceses to have thrones made for them.

Once the frame of the throne is completed, Msgr. Mugambe then goes out to look for materials to adorn it. This he does himself. At the end of the day, it is indeed a throne befitting the King of the Universe. The Wisdom of the King of the Universe guides his actions and decisions.

 

Msgr. Joseph Mary Mugambe blessing the congregation. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ ACCPU

 Msgr. Mugambe’s words may at one time skip the memory of his parishioners but the thrones for the Divine Master to meet His people in the Sacrament of the Altar will have a lasting effect just like the Sacraments he has administered.

“I thank God for all the gifts in my priestly ministry. May He bless all the people who have come into my life all these years, more so this Community of Christ the King. God bless you all abundantly. AMEN.”

 

Caritas Uganda Roots for less Privileged Children through Local Fundraising

 

by Valerian Kkonde
ACCPU               

 

Some of Caritas Uganda staff at their office in Nsambya- Catholic Secretariat. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ ACCPU

“A swift adoption of diversified fundraising strategies and broad engagement of grassroots givers can help ensure stability while creating a stronger base for future cultivation.”

That is the advice of Paul Clolery having noted a decrease in both the number of donors and dollars given across all donor types during the first quarter of 2023. This advice is aimed at countries like Uganda which are heavily dependent on donor- funding.

For Caritas Uganda, almost 100% depending on external donors and having no back-up plans when the donor taps run dry, this is a word to the wise.

Caritas Uganda is a Commission of the Uganda Episcopal Conference. It is the social services development and charitable arm of the Catholic Church. Caritas’ four priorities are: “Demand Truth and Accountability, Pursue Justice, Educate and Mobilize, and Strengthen People’s Participation.”

In order to remain relevant to its mission and mandate of caring for the needy members of the community, Caritas Uganda has come up with a program known as Childcare and Emergency Relief Program (CERP). CERP enables flexible funding to help Caritas Uganda respond to the food, education and health needs of the orphaned and vulnerable children, adolescent youths, and the sick and the elderly and offer real time response to the emergencies that occur in Uganda.

Such emergencies include famine, floods, wars, landslides and drought to mention a few.

“This program offers an opportunity to each and every person or organisation, in and outside Uganda, with an interest of supporting children and emergencies in Uganda, to make a free contribution to this cause,” points out Rosemary the Coordinator of the program.

According to UNICEF 2023 study, Uganda is home to over 900,000 child refugees and asylum seekers who have fled conflict or persecution from South Sudan, the DRC and Burundi. In the same year, the UNHCR study revealed that 2,207 people died of hunger in Karamoja region as a result of long dry spells. This led to acute famine.

Uganda continues to face major challenges in providing quality and accessible basic education to children and adolescents. The UNICEF study further revealed that only one of four children who start Primary School attends Secondary schools. There are a number of factors responsible for this.

Environmental crisis. The Church's prophetic voice is needed in these turbulent times. 
Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ACCPU

The global economic outlook remains fragile amidst a highly challenging environment and uncertainties. The wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Myanmar, Sudan, and many other parts of the world occupied with pandemics like COVID-19, recurrent epidemics like Ebola, the increasing state of HIV/AIDS of which globally 38 million people are still living with HIV.

According to the UN 2020 report, 25.4 million people are now on treatment and 12.6 million people are still waiting.

The new waves of natural disasters including floods, earthquakes, cyclones and droughts have reversed years of global progress across many years of sustainable development including poverty, healthcare and education affecting particularly women and children in developing countries

A new report by the World Bank found that in 2020 alone, the global extreme poverty rate rose from 8.4 per cent to 9.3 per cent as the pandemic drove 70 million more people into extreme poverty.

The areas targeted through this program include Education of the orphaned and vulnerable children, Food emergency and relief response to children in families hit by natural calamities and war, as well as Children and teens spiritual and psychosocial support.

Other areas targeted are Nutrition for children and breastfeeding mothers, Relief for children living with disabilities, and Skilling children living with disabilities and their caretakers. Health care for orphaned and vulnerable children as well as Child protection and safeguarding are also to be catered for.

According to Rosemary, the Coordinator of the Program, those interested in supporting this cause can contact Caritas Uganda at the Uganda Catholic Secretariat in Nsambya.

Fundraising strategies include direct bank standing orders, organizing a run and selling kits countrywide as well as organizing a dinner. Emergency appeals will also be made whenever national or regional disasters strike.

Keeping the young in school is a crucial battle for Uganda’s future. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ACCPU

During the Lenten Season, bags will be sent out countrywide so that people can make their Lenten savings from Ash- Wednesday to Palm Sunday. Individuals who may want to make direct sponsorship for orphaned children and those without a family able to support them in their education are also welcome. Direct sponsorship requires recommendation by the LC1, Catechists and Parish Priests. For those at university level, the Bishop’s recommendation will have to be added.

With increasing levels of poverty and rampant disasters, Caritas Uganda’s drive to bring hope and dignity to the less privileged children should be given the necessary support. It is a crucial battle for Uganda’s future. Through such support to the vulnerable we can all look to a future where sustainable peace and development are assured.

 

 

Pope Leo XIV tells the World that Defeating Hunger is the Path to Peace

 By Linda Bordoni

Pope Leo XIV visits the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome to mark World Food Day and the 80th anniversary of the organization’s founding. In his address he reaffirms the Holy See’s closeness to the institution and calls for a shared global commitment to end hunger and malnutrition.

Sandwiched between the Caracalla Baths, the Aventine Hill and the Circus Maximus and the high Roman ideals they represent, the FAO headquarters in Rome is a microcosm that represents the world. Its mission to defeat hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition in a sustainable way, upholding the dignity of every human being, resonates in a world where conflict, the climate crisis, forced migration and a widening gap between the rich and poor, cast doubt on the goodwill of the international community to place the human person above profit in the name of justice and peace.

That’s what Pope Leo XIV did on Thursday morning when he addressed a star-studded audience of UN and world leaders and goodwill ambassadors gathered at FAO to mark World Food Day and the organisation’s 80th anniversary.

 “We cannot be content with proclaiming values; we must embody them,” he said, calling for a renewed ethical foundation: “Slogans do not lift people from misery. We must place the human person above profit and guarantee food security, access to resources, and sustainable rural development.”

His visit, in the footsteps of all his predecessors starting with Pope Paul VI in 1970, provided him with the occasion to renew the Holy See’s long-standing support for the UN agency and to urge the international community to redouble its efforts to eradicate hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity — evils he described as “a moral wound that afflicts the whole human family.”

Pope Leo XIV at FAO   (@VaticanMedia)

“Whoever suffers from hunger is my brother”

Choosing to speak both in Spanish and in English, the Pope said that the fight against hunger “is not only a political or economic task but a profoundly human and moral duty.”

“Whoever suffers from hunger is not a stranger,” he said. “He is my brother, and I must help him without delay.”

He recalled that eighty years after the FAO’s creation, millions of people still lack adequate food and nutrition.

“Ending these evils,” he said, “requires the contribution of all: governments, institutions, civil society, and every individual person.”

A collective moral failure

Citing current data that show over 673 million people go to bed hungry and 2.3 billion lack a nutritious diet, the Pope said these are not abstract numbers but “broken lives and mothers unable to feed their children.”

He denounced “an economy without a soul” and a system of resource distribution that leaves vast populations in misery, calling the persistence of hunger in an age of abundance “a collective moral failure and a historical fault.”

“Food must never be a weapon”

Pope Leo expressed deep concern that food is once again being used as a weapon of war, calling this a “cruel strategy that denies men, women, and children their most basic right — the right to life.”

Recalling the UN Security Council’s past condemnation of starvation as a war crime, he lamented that “this consensus seems to have faded.” The silence of those dying of hunger, he said, “cries out in the conscience of humanity,” urging all nations to act decisively.

“Hunger is not humanity’s destiny but its downfall,” the Pope said. “It is not just a problem to be solved; it is a cry that rises to heaven.”

Pope Leo with FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu   (@Vatican Media)

An ethical vision of politics

The Pope did not neglect to reaffirm a concept that was dear to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who never tired of pointing out that to throw food away means to throw people away.

He too condemned the waste of food while others starve, and urged world leaders to end “outrageous paradoxes” and to “awaken from the lethargy that dulls our compassion.”

“Water is life, water is food”

Referring to this year’s World Food Day theme, the Pope said the message — “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind” — calls all people to act together.

“At a time marked by division and indifference, unity through cooperation is not just an ideal but a duty,” he said. “Only by joining hands can we build a future in which food security is a right, not a privilege.”

He paid special tribute to women, whom he described as “the silent architects of survival, the first to sow hope and the careful stewards of creation.” Recognizing their contribution, he said, is “not only a matter of justice, but a guarantee of a more humane and lasting food system.”

Renewing multilateral cooperation

Pope Leo reaffirmed the importance of multilateralism and dialogue among nations, urging that the voices of the poor be heard directly. “We must build a vision that allows every actor in the international community to respond effectively to the genuine needs of those we are called to serve,” he said.

He also made a heartfelt appeal for the many peoples suffering hunger and violence in Ukraine, Gaza, Haiti, Afghanistan, Mali, the Central African Republic, Yemen, and South Sudan, insisting that “the international community cannot look the other way.”

“Give them something to eat”

Ending his address, the Holy Father quoted Jesus’ words to His disciples, “Give them something to eat” (Mk 6:37).  This Gospel command, he added, “remains a pressing challenge for the international community.”

“Do not tire of asking God,” he concluded, “for the courage and the energy to work for a justice that will yield lasting and beneficial results. You can always count on the solidarity of the Holy See and of the entire Church, which stands ready to serve the poorest and most disadvantaged throughout the world.”

Pope Leo signs book of honour at FAO   (@Vatican Media)

 

Catholic priest calls for ‘forgiveness’ hoping ceasefire really will end war in Gaza

 Maria Lozano, Nathalie Raffray  

HOLY LAND -   14th October 2025                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Father Gabriel Romanelli during the mass at Holy Family Church in Gaza (Image: © Holy Family Church Gaza)

A PARISH priest who defied evacuation demands to leave Gaza City has called on his flock to “forgive all those who have failed”, as he hopes the ceasefire will bring an end to this “atrocious war”.

A ceasefire in Gaza took effect on Friday (10th October) after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of the 20-point peace plan brokered by Donald Trump, with the next phases still to be negotiated.

In his Sunday address in the Holy Family Catholic Church, Gaza City, Father Gabriel Romanelli said: “This ceasefire, God willing, will become the end of this atrocious war.”

He added: “The long-awaited day has come to begin the implementation of the peace process or peace agreement… May God, in his goodness, grant the Holy Land – and particularly this part of the Holy Land, which is Palestine, Israel – that we may begin to live in peace, in justice, in reconciliation.

Fr Romanelli expressed his profound gratitude and hope following the first Sunday without bombing.

During the Mass, the priest invited parishioners to give thanks to God for their enduring faith and to participate in an act of reconciliation and forgiveness, inspired by the teachings of Pope Saint John Paul II. 

He said: “To forgive all those who, voluntarily or involuntarily, have failed, and ask forgiveness for our own shortcomings”.

At least 57 members of the Christian community have died during the war, including those who died while sheltering in the Catholic compound and the neighbouring Orthodox parish. 

Fr Romanelli e said: “War destroys everything, but we also experienced good things: solidarity and generosity, even in the most adverse conditions.” 

Invoking the words of Fr Werenfried van Straaten, founder of Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need Fr Romanelli said: “Human beings are much better than we think.”

The priest expressed gratitude for the constant support of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, led by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, as well as the prayers and support of Popes Francis and Leo XIV.

He stressed the importance praying and working so peace could take root for the region.

Fr Romanelli concluded: “Let us hope that it will truly be a just and lasting peace for all the inhabitants of the Holy Land.”

                

Catholic Church in Africa Urges World Leaders, Institutions to Urgently Commit to Protect Our Common Home

 by Valerian Kkonde

ACCPU

 

Catholic Communicators at the Kigungu site  on the shores of L. Victoria where the first Catholic missionaries in Uganda- Fr. Lourdel Mapeera and Bro. Amans first set foot on 17th February 1879. The Church's voice plays an important role in the response to the impact of climate change.

This year, for the month of September, the Holy Father Pope Leo XIV is in a special way calling upon the faithful and all humanity to try and go an extra mile to experience the interdependence with all creatures through the inspiration of St. Francis. The Pope further reminds the people that all creatures are loved by God and are worthy of love and respect.

In the same month, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has called upon world leaders and global institutions to consider addressing the climate crisis as a priority, with the urgency and commitment it deserves. SECAM made this global appeal during the Second Africa Climate Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on September 7, 2025.

The global appeal comes at a time when the world is gearing up to the 30th Conference Of the Parties (COP30) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to be hosted by Brazil in Belem from 10-21 November 2025. Expectations are that the Conference will accelerate the implementation of climate agreements, most especially the Paris Agreement.

COP30 is further expected to focus on the areas of transitioning to renewable energy, forest and biodiversity protection, climate finance, and building resilience to climate change impacts. Brazil, as a country, is expected to highlight the crucial role of nature, especially the Amazon, in achieving climate goals.

More on the global stage, the UN is increasingly seen as an institution that has failed to unite member states to work for peace and development, in respect to Israel’s genocide in Palestine and other conflicts, turning the world into a wounded and weary place.

Endemic in society today are the structural sins which we do not address.

“We must move beyond the mentality of appearing to be concerned but failing to bring about substantial change. We are still not facing the issues squarely, and the commitments made are weak and hardly fulfilled.

We cannot continue to make excuses; what is needed is courage and determination to move away decisively from fossil fuels, to embrace renewable sources of energy, and to make genuine lifestyle changes for the sake of our common home,” observes SECAM.

As a continent, Africa is ravaged by wars, conflicts and poverty. Africa is enormously endowed with natural resources but unfortunately, these are being plundered by the so-called developed countries. In a way, all these are the result of the good governance crisis, and lack of integrity, that continue to bedevil the continent. The would-be leaders many times become agents for multinational companies and plunder national resources in the name of foreign investors.

L. Victoria the world's second largest fresh water lake is an extraordinary resource shared among Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Rusting metal and the water hyacinth are some of the threats it faces. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ ACCPU

National resources have in effect become the property of Africa’s strongmen, leaving majority nationals wallowing in abject poverty. In Africa, poverty and environmental degradation go hand in hand, and the same can be said of poverty and bad governance.

The voice of the Church plays a crucial role in addressing the devastating impacts of climate change. This is a voice driven by the common good and not power, profits and extortion.

“The Church calls on wealthy nations to repay their ecological debt through transparent, accessible, and no-indebting climate finance. Loss and Damage and Adaptation Funds must be swiftly operationalized, reaching vulnerable communities directly and fostering resilience rather than dependency.”

Currently, many young Senegalese are desperately migrating to Europe in search of greener pastures. Fishing, which is the backbone of their economy, is being plundered by powerful European fishing companies. While many continue to perish in the seas as they ply the Mediterranean in dangerously loaded boats to land on the shores of Europe, and even endure dehumanising treatment, many more keep undertaking the treacherous journeys to flee from the poverty and other injustices.

For Uganda, endowed with the marvels of Lake Victoria- the world’s second largest fresh water lake- many local fishing communities are destabilised by government’s pampering of foreigners. Many Ugandans are finding it too expensive to buy fish; they now settle for the scattered flesh left on the bones grudgingly and sarcastically called “fillets.”

Many fishermen have lost their lives while others have been permanently crippled by government’s zeal to enforce oppressive and dehumanising laws that ensure that the benefits of L. Victoria and other water bodies serve the interests of the foreigners who help keep them in power.

As the Chinese continue to mine sand from L. Victoria and grow rice in Lwera, neighbouring communities are devastated by floods to the extent of being forced from their properties. Schools and health facilities have turned into small lakes and the Katonga bridge was destroyed forcing traffic to far away alternative routes. Markets and other economic activities had to close, forcing residents to uncertain lifestyles.

“As Catholic communities in Africa, we ask the leaders of nations and institutions to recognise their moral duty and commit to urgent and ambitious action to protect our common home and the most vulnerable. Delay and half-measures only deepen the suffering of our people and jeopardise future generations.”

Irresponsible garbage disposal at Luzira Pier is another of the many threats to Lake Victoria. From such sites methane gas which is a key contributor to climate change is produced. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ ACCPU

SECAM maintains that African nations must be compensated for the untold suffering they are forced to endure, leading to health, social and environmental hazards despite contributing least to global emissions.

“This is a matter of justice and solidarity with the poorest and most affected communities. Adaptation efforts must safeguard food security, water systems, and livelihoods, prioritizing the poor and marginalised.”

For its part, SECAM promises to collaborate in educating, mobilising and accompanying affected populations. They however urge the developed countries to “recognise and pay their ecological debt to the Global South, without continuing to indebt our nations through loans disguised as climate aid.”

SECAM has also called upon the perpetrators of this environmental crisis to stop making excuses, but to boldly come out and move away from fossil fuels.

“The future is this renewable energy, namely solar panel. It is crucial to invest in clean energy and upgrade infrastructure to address Africa’s energy poverty,” SECAM urges the leaders.

Justice and respect for one another, especially the developing countries, will play an important role in ensuring sustainable use of the resources. The rich and the poor alike, have a duty to care for and respect creation in a manner that recognises our interdependence.

The calmness of Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, was on September 25, 2025 treated to a rude awakening as many young people took to the streets to protest over frequent water shortages and power outages. They demanded for respect for human rights and a dignified lifestyle. This later led to a military coup, gravely affecting every aspect of life!

Madagascar is famed for its vast natural resources including rich mineral deposits, along with significant agricultural potential and favourable climate. The island nation is also exceptionally rich in unique biodiversity, encompassing diverse ecosystems and species found nowhere else on Earth.

But the World Bank estimates indicate that over 70% of its over 30 million population is living below the poverty line.

Bruno Rajaspera, Country Director- Africa, Madagascar- captures well the Island nation’s vulnerability to climate change: “Madagascar’s natural resources are currently under serious threat, and we need to act quickly to reverse the trend of degradation that is exacerbating poverty. Let’s act together to safeguard this natural heritage by mobilising resources and inviting key stakeholders to join our efforts to combat environmental pressures and build a sustainable economy based on the management and restoration of Madagascar’s landscapes and seascapes.”

In Ghana’s capital Accra, Africa witnesses one of the biggest and most dangerous industrial dumping sites on the continent. At Agbogbloshie is the dumping site of Europe’s electronic- waste. At least 40,000 people are estimated to live in this area.

Old televisions, computers and refrigerators are set on fire here, giving off toxic fumes in an area covering 16 square kilometers. These emissions pollute the soil and the water. More so, they leave traces of plastic in the environment.  No wonder it is referred to as the “Toxic city.”

The developing countries lack the infrastructure to sort and recycle the waste. The result is dumping, and then burning of the waste, further complicating the situation for the innocent victims. Poverty and limping health systems turn everything into a crisis: environmental, health, financial, cultural and educational. Every aspect of life is gravely threatened.

 Will the UN regulate and prohibit Europe from exporting plastic waste to poor countries like Ghana? Why do these countries generating these mountains of waste not leave them in their own countries? Who will ensure that the perpetrators of the environmental crisis fulfil their obligation to make good of their promises to pay for these crimes?

Papyrus play a crucial role in filtering all the water from the land before it joins the main lake. Rampart environmental destruction and dangerous waste disposals have destroyed these natural safeguards. Photo by Valerian Kkonde/ ACCPU

SECAM further commits to “establish an Ecclesial Observatory on Climate Justice to monitor implementation of climate pledges and partner with ethical actors to build a green and resilient Africa.”

The Catholic Church in Africa unequivocally advocates for a transformation that puts the care of life at the centre, the sovereignty of indigenous and rural peoples over their territories, and the active defence of the rights of women, climate migrants and new generations.

It is in that regard that the Catholic Church in Africa warns and calls upon humanity to be cognizant of the fact that the injustices, excuses, greed, procrastinations, denials and half-measures all end up devastating our common home.

“The earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor.”