Anglican Church launches Namugongo water bottling plant

May 29, 2015

The Anglican Church has commissioned the construction of the Namugongo water bottling plant worth sh 500m.

By John Agaba

The Anglican Church has commissioned the construction of the Namugongo water bottling plant worth sh 500m.

The Bishop of Namirembe Diocese, Wilberforce Kityo, presided over the function at the Anglican Martyrs’ Shrine in Namugongo.

He was accompanied by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Joseph Muchai from Nakuru Archdiocese in Kenya.

As part of the activities to commemorate the Uganda Martyrs’ Day due next week Wednesday, the Church leaders, accompanied by several staff on the project’s building committee, also paid homage to the Martyrs’ Museum under construction at the same Shrine.

Wilberforce Kityo explained that the (Anglican) Church had decided to start bottling safe drinking water from the “various springs” at the shrine to promote business tourism in the country.

He called on the contractors (of the bottling plant) to be diligent and steadfast, with the first bottle of water from the plant expected to be unveiled during the June 3 Martyrs’ Day celebrations in Namugongo.

His equal Joseph Muchai expressed his fondness to be associated with such a “thoughtful and important” idea.

“It is going to be pure water; not mixed with any chemicals, just pure mineral water,” said the Bishop.

Henry Lubwama, the Namirembe Diocese planning and development coordinator, promised the plant will be ready and bottling water in a year.

“Our target are the pilgrims who come here (to Namugongo every June 3); and, of course, Ugandans. People come here (at the shrine) and take this water (from the springs at the shrine). But we want to construct boreholes and process it and purify it for human consumption,” said Lubwama.

“We have about 13 million Anglican Christians. So we are not worried about the market,” he said.

President Yoweri Museveni is expected to officially unveil the mineral water which has been branded Namugongo Water during the June 3 Martyrs’ Day Celebrations.

The President is the guest of honor at the prayers expected to draw millions of faithful come June 3.

“It is not Holy Water. We want to clarify this. It is just pure water. The question of whether it is holy (water) or not depends on one’s conviction,” said Lubwama.

The water will come in 500milgram bottles, each costing sh1000.

The Anglican Church (in Uganda) is undertaking ambitious projects to fully enhance the tourism potential of the place where Mukajanga killed over 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican faithful at the orders of Kabaka Mwaga in 1886.

Away from renovating the place, the Church also commenced the building of a Martyrs’ Museum at the Shrine last year. This project is estimated to cost sh36b.

Meanwhile, preparations to commemorate the June 3 Martyrs’ Day celebrations are hitting top gear at both the Anglican and Catholic Shrines in Namugongo.

At the Anglican Shrine, posters announcing the day are being erected, pathways being leveled.

The grass is being trimmed neat.

At the Catholic Shrine, there are teams marking pavements, demarcating sections the various pilgrims will occupy.

The police are also beefing up security measures.

A number of pilgrims have already arrived for the June 3 Martyrs’ Day prayers.