Alupo tells church leaders to stop depending on offertory
Vice President Jesica Alupo during the commissioning of a two-storeyed Millennium SACCO 2012 building in Rugaaga, Isingiro District last Friday. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Bishop Mwesigwa said the new St Paul Shopping Mall is expected to generate Shs500 million monthly.
Vice President Jessica Alupo has tasked religious leaders to stop depending on offertory.
Ms Alupo was speaking during the commissioning of Shs4.7 billion Ankole-diocese projects in Mbarara last Friday.
The projects include construction of a Shs2.6 billion St Paul Shopping Mall, Bishop Stuart Nursing School and Shs2.1 billion health sciences complexes in Ruharo, Kamukuzi Ward in Mbarara City.
“If religious leaders are to live by the calling of preaching the gospel, especially in the modern world and supporting the needy, they should stop depending on the Church basket and initiate income-generating projects,” Ms Alupo said.
She said religious leaders should involve in the social-economic transformation of the society.
“As government, we will continue to support religious institutions’ efforts to transform communities. Today, I am very thankful to the Bishop of Ankole Diocese and his team for what they are doing here. I have commissioned projects all geared towards transformation of communities but also the diocese has other projects for improving household incomes through agriculture like coffee and vanilla growing, and cattle rearing which the diocese has initiated in communities,” Ms Alupo said.
The Bishop of Ankole Diocese, the Rt Rev Sheldon Mwesigwa, said the projects are geared towards the economic independence of the Church.
He added: “When you look at these projects, the cost is relatively low and of high quality compared to some of the similar projects constructed by other institutions, especially by the government... This is because some of us are corrupt free.”
Bishop Mwesigwa said the new St Paul Shopping Mall is expected to generate Shs500 million monthly.
The Vice chancellor of Bishop Stuart University, Prof Mauda Kamatenesi, said the newly-constructed health sciences and nursing complex will be a big step in offering quality education.
“With this complex that includes five lecture rooms, a demonstration room, one resource centre, a library, two office spaces will help in providing quality education to this faculty that started in 2009 with two students as a department but now has 200 students pursuing nursing,170 public health and 30 Master’s degree,” Ms Kamatenesi said.
