A year after collapse, Kalerwe church fights to stand
Dec 10, 2007
A screaming silence embraces the City of the Lord Church located in lower Nsooba zone, Lufula, Kalerwe, in a tight grip. Worshippers lift their hands in adoration with shouts of ‘amen’ as the gospel hits a crescendo in the packed church.
By Jamesa Wagwau
A screaming silence embraces the City of the Lord Church located in lower Nsooba zone, Lufula, Kalerwe, in a tight grip. Worshippers lift their hands in adoration with shouts of ‘amen’ as the gospel hits a crescendo in the packed church.
Their faces shine with joy; the joy that is only experienced in the city of the Lord. This shout of joy masks the shouts of pain that enveloped this church over one- and-a-half years ago. It is difficult to believe that this was a scene of tragedy in which 26 people lost their lives and more than 100 others were critically injured.
Twenty months have rolled by, but Wednesday, March 8, 2006, remains indelibly marked in the history of this church. On that tragic evening, it was raining when the unfinished church structure suddenly caved in, leaving the worshippers no time to flee. It was a grisly incident that provoked mixed reactions from the public and Government officials. As survivors were still recovering from shock, word was rife that the tragedy had been masterminded by a powerful evil spell that a pastor of nearby rival church had cast upon the church.
About 700 believers from Pentecostal churches in Kawempe Division had turned up for the one-week revival seminar that started the previous Sunday and was convened by Pastor Nekemiah Bamutire of Mukono.
Established in 2004, the City of the Lord Church is a break-away faction from the Christian Life Church, Bwaise. Pastor Godfrey Luwagga has been shepherding the flock since the church’s inception. The church began with a makeshift wooden structure in which believers used to converge. After 10 months, residents saw the construction of a permanent structure started around the wooden church. Documents availed at the time of the tragic incident showed that Kamusi and Brothers Contractors were doing the construction at the cost of sh120.4m. There were reports that pastor Luwagga breached the local government regulations and erected the building without an approved plan. Reports had it that pastor Luwagga had defied orders to stop the construction, claiming the State House had cleared him. However, pastor Luwagga describes these reports as ‘fabrications of the media.’
“Does State House approve buildings? I do not know anybody in State House and I wonder who invented all these stories,†pastor Luwagga said.
One-and-a-half years down the road, life seems to have returned to normal and there are no signs of blood and tears that were once shed here.
Flat pieces of cement teamed with beautiful flowers welcome worshippers into the makeshift wooden structure. Rectangular slabs of cement partially cover the dusty floor. The cool breeze coming from behind the congregation draws my attention to the exposed back section of the makeshift structure. The gathering clouds eclipse the afternoon sun; it is threatening to rain. Fear grips me and my heart skips a beat as I remember what rainstorm did to this church over one year ago.
My eyes prowl and I catch a glimpse of the wooden rails that hang precariously in the roof. What would happen if the roof suddenly caves in again? I wonder.
Nevertheless, the wooden wall consoles me that history might not repeat itself after all.
Pastor Luwagga raises his hand as if trying to calm the looming storm. His face beams with the confidence of a man who has stood some of the greatest tides of our times.
Immediately after the tragedy, Luwagga had promised to resume the construction of the collapsed church.
However, two years down the road, there are no signs of construction.
“We have completed the new plan and we shall submit it for approval. We are not in a hurry, The construction will take longer,†pastor Luwagga says.
He says the building that collapsed last year had a plan that had been approved by the city authorities.
This is contrary to earlier reports that the pastor had defied the city authorities to erect the building without an approved plan.
According to Charles Mugabi, Kawempe Division’s building inspector, even the temporary makeshift structure that currently serves worshippers is illegal. “I was told that the makeshift structure would only be used for worship on Sunday. Procedurally, the temporary structure should not last more than six months,†says Mugabi.
He also confirmed that his office had not yet received the new building plan for the City of the Lord Church.
Following the collapse of the building, pastor Luwagga was charged with erecting a building without an approved plan, contrary to section 24 of the Town and Country Planning Act.
Esta Nambayo, the City Hall Court grade one magistrate, recently dismissed the charges and acquitted pastor Luwagga on the grounds that the statutory instrument under which he was charged was non-existent.
As he plans to resume the construction of the church, the man of God is confident that ‘all things work for good for those who love the Lord’.
A screaming silence embraces the City of the Lord Church located in lower Nsooba zone, Lufula, Kalerwe, in a tight grip. Worshippers lift their hands in adoration with shouts of ‘amen’ as the gospel hits a crescendo in the packed church.
Their faces shine with joy; the joy that is only experienced in the city of the Lord. This shout of joy masks the shouts of pain that enveloped this church over one- and-a-half years ago. It is difficult to believe that this was a scene of tragedy in which 26 people lost their lives and more than 100 others were critically injured.
Twenty months have rolled by, but Wednesday, March 8, 2006, remains indelibly marked in the history of this church. On that tragic evening, it was raining when the unfinished church structure suddenly caved in, leaving the worshippers no time to flee. It was a grisly incident that provoked mixed reactions from the public and Government officials. As survivors were still recovering from shock, word was rife that the tragedy had been masterminded by a powerful evil spell that a pastor of nearby rival church had cast upon the church.
About 700 believers from Pentecostal churches in Kawempe Division had turned up for the one-week revival seminar that started the previous Sunday and was convened by Pastor Nekemiah Bamutire of Mukono.
Established in 2004, the City of the Lord Church is a break-away faction from the Christian Life Church, Bwaise. Pastor Godfrey Luwagga has been shepherding the flock since the church’s inception. The church began with a makeshift wooden structure in which believers used to converge. After 10 months, residents saw the construction of a permanent structure started around the wooden church. Documents availed at the time of the tragic incident showed that Kamusi and Brothers Contractors were doing the construction at the cost of sh120.4m. There were reports that pastor Luwagga breached the local government regulations and erected the building without an approved plan. Reports had it that pastor Luwagga had defied orders to stop the construction, claiming the State House had cleared him. However, pastor Luwagga describes these reports as ‘fabrications of the media.’
“Does State House approve buildings? I do not know anybody in State House and I wonder who invented all these stories,†pastor Luwagga said.
One-and-a-half years down the road, life seems to have returned to normal and there are no signs of blood and tears that were once shed here.
Flat pieces of cement teamed with beautiful flowers welcome worshippers into the makeshift wooden structure. Rectangular slabs of cement partially cover the dusty floor. The cool breeze coming from behind the congregation draws my attention to the exposed back section of the makeshift structure. The gathering clouds eclipse the afternoon sun; it is threatening to rain. Fear grips me and my heart skips a beat as I remember what rainstorm did to this church over one year ago.
My eyes prowl and I catch a glimpse of the wooden rails that hang precariously in the roof. What would happen if the roof suddenly caves in again? I wonder.
Nevertheless, the wooden wall consoles me that history might not repeat itself after all.
Pastor Luwagga raises his hand as if trying to calm the looming storm. His face beams with the confidence of a man who has stood some of the greatest tides of our times.
Immediately after the tragedy, Luwagga had promised to resume the construction of the collapsed church.
However, two years down the road, there are no signs of construction.
“We have completed the new plan and we shall submit it for approval. We are not in a hurry, The construction will take longer,†pastor Luwagga says.
He says the building that collapsed last year had a plan that had been approved by the city authorities.
This is contrary to earlier reports that the pastor had defied the city authorities to erect the building without an approved plan.
According to Charles Mugabi, Kawempe Division’s building inspector, even the temporary makeshift structure that currently serves worshippers is illegal. “I was told that the makeshift structure would only be used for worship on Sunday. Procedurally, the temporary structure should not last more than six months,†says Mugabi.
He also confirmed that his office had not yet received the new building plan for the City of the Lord Church.
Following the collapse of the building, pastor Luwagga was charged with erecting a building without an approved plan, contrary to section 24 of the Town and Country Planning Act.
Esta Nambayo, the City Hall Court grade one magistrate, recently dismissed the charges and acquitted pastor Luwagga on the grounds that the statutory instrument under which he was charged was non-existent.
As he plans to resume the construction of the church, the man of God is confident that ‘all things work for good for those who love the Lord’.