Archbishop Kaziimba commissions sh5.5b East Busoga cathedral construction

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Archbishop Dr Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu of the Church of Uganda has reminded the East Busoga Diocese that they do not have a cathedral yet.

Despite getting its first bishop, Paul Hannington Suubi, who was enthroned and consecrated on November 19, 2023, Kaziimba says the diocese needs to have a befitting cathedral away from where it is being housed.

Since they had prayed for and blessed the cathedral, an official chair of a bishop, during the consecration, it was entered into St Stephen’s Church, Naluwerere in Bugiri municipality, and the facility automatically became a Cathedral.

Archbishop Dr Stephen Kaziimba (C) having a chat with Bishop Paul Hannington Suubi and his wife. He commended the bishop and his wife for the impact they have made in two years in East Busoga Diocese. (Photo by Jackie Nambogga)

However, Kaziimba has lashed out at the diocese against claiming that they have a cathedral.

“You shouldn’t claim to have a cathedral; the current premises were for the parish, and we thank our people who did this work at that time. However, the premises don’t match the diocese, which must have a cathedral,” he says.

He adds that it was the diocese that turned the premises into a cathedral, yet the premises were of a parish church.

“It is not about the huge size of the church, but the cathedral and its relevance that make it a cathedral. Some people are yearning for a diocese, even if you had a huge building without a cathedral and those with a small size with it, it becomes a cathedral,” he clarified.

This was during the commemoration of the diocese’s second anniversary, at which Kaziimba broke the ground for the construction of a shillings 5.5 billion cathedral on November 23, 2025.

Quoting King Solomon in the Bible, the Archbishop challenged the East Busoga Diocese to also build a befitting cathedral.

Much as they had been contributing toward building the rest of the cathedrals elsewhere, including the All-Saints Cathedral in Nakasero, Kampala city, Kaziimba said these were not theirs.

Of late, the archbishop said he had been commissioning new cathedrals in Sironko, Masindi, Kapchorwa and the latest in the Karamoja sub-region in Moroto district.

“Some of you say Karamoja is underdeveloped, but I have just opened a nice cathedral. If we compare Karamoja and East Busoga, which is better? Even if you contributed to them, they are not yours,” he asked.

Mugalu, who kept switching to fluent Lusoga, said Aye mukaali, mwakatolera, kino n’ekiseera okuzimba eyaimwe, Katonda imwe balonze nga bweyalonda Sulemani, loosely translated “you haven’t, you have just begun, and this is the time to construct your own cathedral and God has chosen you as he did to Solomon.”

Asuman Basalirwa, the area legislator, praised Suubi as a transformational and dynamic leader who had given the premises a new look.

Before his consecration, he said the archdeaconry house and offices were in a sorry state, but he changed the premises.

Basalirwa said Suubi had moved from impact to success.

Meanwhile, Dan Wandera Ogalo, a lawyer and former Bukhooli South Member of Parliament, said Suubi was a unifying, hardworking and caring shepherd of his flocks.

“We feel him and see it, the body language can tell it all, he is really for us, and we are lucky to begin with a unifying bishop, who listens and wants to transform society,” he said.

With Suubi, Ogalo said it was not merely going to Church, praying and going, but it also spares time to interact and understand people’s concerns for solutions.

Dan Wandera Ogalo and Rtd. Justice Faith Mwondha at the 2nd anniversary of East Busoga Diocese and ground breaking ceremony of the cathedral's construction in Bugiri town. (Photo by Jackie Nambogga)

“It is not about coming to church, praying and going away, it is also about the living standards of the flocks in terms of changing; we are privileged to have him as our bishop,” Ogalo noted.

Retired Justice of the Supreme Court Faith Mwondha commended Suubi for this new initiative with a sh5 million pledge, which would be deposited on the Cathedral’s account.

She pledged to continue supporting the project since it was being conducted in phases.

Suubi said the first phase, of building the foundation alone, would consume shillings 400 million.

He said the 1,500-seating capacity cathedral will comprise a chapel where activities like thanksgivings and baptisms would be conducted, offices, a vestry and a reservation for the choir, among others.

Scores contributed, and Suubi announced shillings 118 million that was raised in cash and pledges, as well as 640 bags of cement, of which Hima cement promised 300.