MITOOMA – On Sunday, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa handed over a state-of-the-art church to St. Karoli Lwanga Rugarama Catholic Parish in Mitooma District.
Tayebwa revealed that a significant portion of the money was raised from his friends in the business community, who contributed a whopping Shs1.7 billion in just one 30-minute meeting.
Tayebwa emphasized that the generous support from his friends played a crucial role in completing the project, dispelling concerns about the funding sources.
He said that those who support the project include prominent businessmen such as Tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia, Godfrey Kirumira, Amos Nzeyi, Patrick Bitature, Toyota Kaguta, and Ham Kiggundu, among others, contributed a significant amount of UGX 1.7 billion towards the construction of the church.
He expressed his gratitude for their generous support, which played a crucial role in completing the project.
The initial meeting to plan the construction of the St. Karoli Lwanga Kigarama Catholic Church was hosted at Munyonyo Hotel, owned by Tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia. The meeting, which laid the foundation for the project, was attended by a small group of approximately 8-10 individuals, including Sudhir and Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, who showed their support for Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa’s philanthropic endeavor.
During the dedication ceremony of the St. Karoli Lwanga Kigarama Catholic Church on Sunday, July 28, 2024, Ankole Archdiocese Archbishop Lambert Bainomugisha praised Tayebwa for his extraordinary generosity in building a UGX 2.7 billion state-of-the-art church. He commended Tayebwa for his selfless contribution to the community. “He (Tayebwa) was not a VIP, but he was in the crowd, and God chose him,” the Archbishop said. “His generosity has inspired many, showing that even in positions of power, one can remain humble and give back to the community.”
Bainomugisha urged people who are doing well to support their communities. “Let us not look at the government alone for all the services but we can cooperate with it to multiply this bread,” said the Archbishop. “It’s a call to us to use the resources in families, communities, and offices everywhere to serve our people.”
Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, who was accompanied by her husband, Moses Magogo, commended Tayebwa’s brilliance and down-to-earth nature. “Mzee Daudi Bangirana, we want to thank you for sending us a brilliant and down-to-earth young man in the name of Rt. Hon Thomas Tayebwa. We also want to thank the people of Mitooma for giving us a leader in Tayebwa. He is one deputy speaker who knows what his role is.” “He is so down-to-earth and very social. Please bring him back to Parliament in the next election. I only have one term to serve as Speaker, and I give it to Hon Tayebwa.”
Tayebwa, who is also the MP for Ruhinda North County in Mitooma District, built the church in honor of his late grandmother, Julita Kaijarubi Tiruhongyerwa, who raised him from the age of six and instilled in him strong religious values, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to education. In a heartfelt tribute, Tayebwa described his grandmother as a woman of great faith, hard work, and generosity, who always put others before herself. He recalled how she would start their day with prayer, followed by hard work in the garden, and then reward him with words of affirmation and a hot meal. Tayebwa credited his grandmother with teaching him the importance of living for God, and enrolling him in Christian fraternities and Catholic doctrine. He said that her legacy of spirituality, hard work, and education has shaped him into the man he is today.
The Kigarama Parish Council chairperson, Moses Tumwekwatse, commended Tayebwa for his initiative, saying the church would have taken the parish 20 years or more to construct. Tumwekwatse, also the Mitooma district speaker, praised Tayebwa’s parents for raising him as a God-fearing man, saying they deserve a standing ovation. Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Bainomugisha, the Parish Priest of Kigarama Catholic Parish, expressed his gratitude to Tayebwa for his enormous support to the people of Ruhinda North Constituency, Mitooma District, and the parish. “Abantu ba Kigarama, we have a very special blessing in our beloved son of the soil, Rt. Hon Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa. Thomas Tayebwa, we thank you and your family and friends for the enormous support extended to us.”
The dedication of the St. Karoli Lwanga Kigarama Catholic Church is a testament to Tayebwa’s humility and generosity, inspiring others to follow in his footsteps.
