The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa has announced an ambitious plan that will see him build a Shs1.2 billion church at Kigarama Catholic Parish, Bitereko Sub County.
Tayebwa who is a Member of Parliament for Ruhinda North County in Mitooma District made the revelation on Saturday where he also officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony for the same.
Tayebwa told the congregation that he sought to build a church in honour of his late grandmother, the late Jurita who he said raised and instilled in him religious values.
“My grandmother was a staunch Christian who raised and instilled in me religious values that I still heed today. I am confident that there is no better way to honour and appreciate her immense contribution to the person I am today,” Tayebwa said.
Tayebwa, who is an entrepreneur with interests in communications and media, transport, tours and travel, manufacturing, real estate, private security and finance said he would fit the church with the state of the art furniture and a modern music system.
The church, whose construction has already started would be complete in one year, he said.
“My wife, Anita Rukundo, and I have agreed to make this contribution and no one should claim to have contributed much to the construction of this church,” he argued.
Tayebwa is a renowned philanthropist who has supported several community projects across the country and continues to support several children from vulnerable backgrounds to attain education, medical care among other areas.
He has also supported several youth start-ups with capital and as a business mentor.
Mr. Moses Tumwekwatse, the Kigarama Parish Council chairperson, commended Tayebwa for this initiative because building a new church is a project they had feared to begin due to limited resources.
“This is a project we had feared to start because the beginning itself when you are building a church at the parish level, it requires that you have over five hundred million shillings on your account and that’s the least you can have, but God has helped us through our Deputy Speaker,” Mr. Tumwekwatse who is also the Mitooma district speaker said.
“Today, we are beginning the construction of a beautiful and spacious church yet as parishioners, we are not going to put even a single shilling,” He further thanked Tayebwa’s parents for bringing him up as a God-fearing man, something he says, has made him (Tayebwa) come up to do God’s work.”
“As Church, we appreciate Tayebwa’s parents for bringing him to church. Had it not been that, he wouldn’t be building such a church for us. Tayebwa’s parents deserve a standing ovation,” he rallied parishioners
The Mitooma District Chairperson, Mr. Benon Karyeija compared Tayebwa to the biblical King Solomon who constructed a temple for God after his father hatched an idea of having one but couldn’t.
“I think Tayebwa is like King Solomon who completed the work his father had started, the work of building a house for God. He is here to accomplish it and he is not going to bother us. He wants to do everything because he is able. We thank God for his great contribution,” Mr Karyeija noted
The Mitooma District Woman MP, Juliet Agasha Bashiisha, hailed Tayebwa for being an exemplary team leader in the Parliament of Uganda.
