Martin Luther Galiwango:He spread the light and left hearts lighter
Aug 18, 2010
HUNDREDS of people from all over East Africa thronged Church of Uganda Nateete, Kampala to pay their last respects to Bazukufu religious leader, Martin Galiwango. Galiwango passed away last Thursday, six months after he was diagnosed with cancer.
By Gilbert Kidimu
HUNDREDS of people from all over East Africa thronged Church of Uganda Nateete, Kampala to pay their last respects to Bazukufu religious leader, Martin Galiwango. Galiwango passed away last Thursday, six months after he was diagnosed with cancer.
Born in 1928, Galiwango got saved in 1957 and became a Muzukufu in 1960. The Bazuukufu is a break-away sect from the East African Revival Fellowship, the oldest Born Again Christian movement in the region.
Galiwango was an evangelist across the whole of the East African region. By the time of his death he had reached Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi and Uganda. He is credited for his dedication to evangelism, philanthropy and spearheading the construction of the Yono Mondo Memorial Hall, the fellowship centre for the Basukufu or ‘reawakened brethren’ at Kawempe.
He also served on the boards of Namirembe Hospital, Kings College Budo and Uganda Protestant Bureau and for twebty years worked at the Uganda Bookshop in Kampala.
Galiwango married Catherine Nnasuna in 1949, and by the time of his death had live with her for sixty years. They 11 children and 24 grand children.
His wife said he inspired her to give her life to Christ. “He welcomed anyone to our home. Besides our 11 biological children, we have many spiritual children,†she said.
My father was blown away by life’s rough storms
By David Kangye
June 25, 2010 will forever remain a fresh memory. It has taken me a long time to patch up the hole left behind by the loss of this humble man I called Dad.
Fifty-four years ago, a set of twins, Johnson Burugo Kakuru Kakiga and Peter Kato Katagyira, came into this world.
As herdsboys in a pastoral community in a remote village of Ngoma, the twins had no chance to get education, until luck in form of a Gombolola chief invited Katagyira for education.
In a short time though, he did not fare well and the chance was passed on to his brother Burugo.
Burugo began school at Timina Church of Uganda Primary School. While in Primary Five at the age of 15, he committed his life to Jesus Christ and never looked back.
He later joined Nakasero S.S, where he completed his O’ level.
In 1976 while working as a teacher, in Namusale, he got a scholarship to pursue a certificate in theology at Uganda Martyrs Seminary, Namugongo. He was later ordained a clergy in the Anglican Church.
While working as a priest in 1981 in Kiwunya, Kasubi parish, he married Faith Namala.
Soon after, he voluntarily decided, along with Rev. Can. Daudi Serubidde, to go and serve in the Luwero on behalf of Namirembe Diocese.
He established his camp at the current Luwero Cathedral and got involved with the people of Luwero, distributing relief food, clothing, medication and homage to the poor.
In 1985, he was hit with a gun butt as he tried to stop the ‘Banyanya’ soldiers from entering the church where they wanted food.
The attack left him with punctured veins and arteries. He started vomiting blood while working as an archdeacon at Kiwoko between 1991 and 1997.
While working at St Stephen’s church in Kireka in 1998, he enrolled for a diploma in Theology at the Uganda Christian University, Mukono, but his health deteriorated.
Two years later at St Peter’s Kiwafu Entebbe, a friend, Dr Mutyaba, advised him to visit the Heart Institute where he underwent a successful operation.
But in 2008, he was diagnosed with intestine disorders and his appendix was operated on.
From then, his health seemed to have improved until March 2010 when he was diagnosed with low blood pressure.
On June 20, upon admission at Kadic Hospital, he was diagnosed with kidney failure. He was transferred to Mulago Hospital a few days later where he breathed his last on June 25.
Burugo was a loving, caring father with good counsel through speech and action. His humility and selflessness and his daily jokes about life will be a fortune sorely missed; a candle blown out sooner than later by life’s rough storms.
Just as he taught us, so have we come to learn to live a prayerful life, and giving glory to God for every single moment we shared with him.
Dad was laid to rest on June27 at his home in Kyegombwa, Kinyogoga, Nakaseke district.
The writer is a Senior Five student at Wampeewo Ntakke Secondary School.
HUNDREDS of people from all over East Africa thronged Church of Uganda Nateete, Kampala to pay their last respects to Bazukufu religious leader, Martin Galiwango. Galiwango passed away last Thursday, six months after he was diagnosed with cancer.
Born in 1928, Galiwango got saved in 1957 and became a Muzukufu in 1960. The Bazuukufu is a break-away sect from the East African Revival Fellowship, the oldest Born Again Christian movement in the region.
Galiwango was an evangelist across the whole of the East African region. By the time of his death he had reached Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi and Uganda. He is credited for his dedication to evangelism, philanthropy and spearheading the construction of the Yono Mondo Memorial Hall, the fellowship centre for the Basukufu or ‘reawakened brethren’ at Kawempe.
He also served on the boards of Namirembe Hospital, Kings College Budo and Uganda Protestant Bureau and for twebty years worked at the Uganda Bookshop in Kampala.
Galiwango married Catherine Nnasuna in 1949, and by the time of his death had live with her for sixty years. They 11 children and 24 grand children.
His wife said he inspired her to give her life to Christ. “He welcomed anyone to our home. Besides our 11 biological children, we have many spiritual children,†she said.
My father was blown away by life’s rough storms
By David Kangye
June 25, 2010 will forever remain a fresh memory. It has taken me a long time to patch up the hole left behind by the loss of this humble man I called Dad.
Fifty-four years ago, a set of twins, Johnson Burugo Kakuru Kakiga and Peter Kato Katagyira, came into this world.
As herdsboys in a pastoral community in a remote village of Ngoma, the twins had no chance to get education, until luck in form of a Gombolola chief invited Katagyira for education.
In a short time though, he did not fare well and the chance was passed on to his brother Burugo.
Burugo began school at Timina Church of Uganda Primary School. While in Primary Five at the age of 15, he committed his life to Jesus Christ and never looked back.
He later joined Nakasero S.S, where he completed his O’ level.
In 1976 while working as a teacher, in Namusale, he got a scholarship to pursue a certificate in theology at Uganda Martyrs Seminary, Namugongo. He was later ordained a clergy in the Anglican Church.
While working as a priest in 1981 in Kiwunya, Kasubi parish, he married Faith Namala.
Soon after, he voluntarily decided, along with Rev. Can. Daudi Serubidde, to go and serve in the Luwero on behalf of Namirembe Diocese.
He established his camp at the current Luwero Cathedral and got involved with the people of Luwero, distributing relief food, clothing, medication and homage to the poor.
In 1985, he was hit with a gun butt as he tried to stop the ‘Banyanya’ soldiers from entering the church where they wanted food.
The attack left him with punctured veins and arteries. He started vomiting blood while working as an archdeacon at Kiwoko between 1991 and 1997.
While working at St Stephen’s church in Kireka in 1998, he enrolled for a diploma in Theology at the Uganda Christian University, Mukono, but his health deteriorated.
Two years later at St Peter’s Kiwafu Entebbe, a friend, Dr Mutyaba, advised him to visit the Heart Institute where he underwent a successful operation.
But in 2008, he was diagnosed with intestine disorders and his appendix was operated on.
From then, his health seemed to have improved until March 2010 when he was diagnosed with low blood pressure.
On June 20, upon admission at Kadic Hospital, he was diagnosed with kidney failure. He was transferred to Mulago Hospital a few days later where he breathed his last on June 25.
Burugo was a loving, caring father with good counsel through speech and action. His humility and selflessness and his daily jokes about life will be a fortune sorely missed; a candle blown out sooner than later by life’s rough storms.
Just as he taught us, so have we come to learn to live a prayerful life, and giving glory to God for every single moment we shared with him.
Dad was laid to rest on June27 at his home in Kyegombwa, Kinyogoga, Nakaseke district.
The writer is a Senior Five student at Wampeewo Ntakke Secondary School.