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The Archbishop of Kampala, Paul Ssemogerere, has raised concern over the rampant land grabbing and encroachment on church land across the country. 

He said that several people donated land to the church, but relatives are working to take it back and that some started to secure titles for it. 

Archbishop Ssemogerere's call comes after several religious leaders expressed concern about increasing cases of land grabbing and tasked the government to intervene to protect the land that is threat by ensuring that it is titled. 

The prelate said this while preaching at St Joseph Balikuddembe Catholic Parish in Buloba on Mityana Road on Sunday, November 12, and asked Christians to safeguard church land in order not to be violated by dishonest individuals. 

Buloba Parish is one of 73 parishes created by the Kampala Archdiocese and was among the eight parishes opened by the late Archbishop, Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, as the Archdiocese prepares to celebrate 50 years since the Uganda Martyrs were canonised by Pope Paul VI. 

He said he was surprised that many years after individuals donated their land to the church, some grandchildren are claiming ownership and some have reached the extent of asking the Church to divide it so that they also get a piece of it, which surprises the church. 

“In several churches in Kampala Archdiocese, land grabbers and other so-called grands of deceased people who gave out the land to the church claim to be owners of ancestral lands donated to churches,” he said, adding that land titles have even been forged. 

“However, many Ugandans say that there are people who are taking advantage of the conflict in the country to seize land because they know some of the landowners can’t do anything to them,” he added. 

Church leaders 

On the same occasion, Archbishop Ssemogerere cautioned lay parish church leaders to work without the thought of rewards. 

“Be strong as serving your church, moving together as Pope Francis called us to move in the Synod on Synodality, with listening and moving together as Catholics.

I am Archbishop, but I am not an engineer, if you see the structure we are building is not in a good status, educated engineers in the parish, come out and advise, same as to other categories,” he said.   

On vestments, the Archbishop said, “we don’t just wake up and dress in any colour, not every session has its colour, today we are in green, even the Pope in Rome is dressing up the same colour like us.”   

Pilgrimage 

The Archbishop announced Wednesday, November 15, as the pilgrimage day to Lusinga, the birthplace of St Joseph Balikuddembe. 

He was a Ugandan Martyr, born at Lusinga, Mitala-Maria Parish in 1860. 

His father was Njubeseeta Mugerere Bakirabye of Kayozi and his mother was Maria Sara Kajwaayo from Tooro. 

He was brought up by his paternal uncle, Mazinga, and stayed in the enclosure of Chief Lukayi Kifuko Kabazzi from where he was taken as a page to King Muteesa I’s palace at Nabulagala aged about 14 years.