Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has addressed public criticism regarding the construction of a church in his home district, which cost Shs2.7 billion. During a thanksgiving ceremony for his father, Mzee Daudi Bangirana, who was celebrating his 80th birthday and 48 years of marriage, Tayebwa clarified the source of the funds used for the project.
Tayebwa revealed that the majority of the money was raised through his connections within the business community. “In one meeting that lasted about 30 minutes, Shs1.7 billion was raised for the construction of the church by my friends,” he explained.
He dismissed allegations that government money was used for the project. “It will cost us Shs2.7 billion, and I heard some people say, ‘You get Government money, you build such a church.’ Just in less than one hour, when they passed home, these people gave me Shs1.7 billion. But we are completing it. Don’t see no glasses, and you say these people are in fundraisings; we have the resources to complete it. Even tomorrow, the contractors are continuing. But we prematurely did this because we had to celebrate Mzee.”
The event, held in Nyamiyaga, Bitereko, Ruhinda-Mitooma District, was attended by prominent figures, including Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, former Prime Ministers Ruhakana Rugunda and Amama Mbabazi, ministers, members of parliament, diplomats, and business leaders. During the ceremony, President Museveni praised Mzee Bangirana for his hard work and contribution to society, gifting him five Friesian cows.
Earlier in the day, St. Karoli Lwanga Church in Kigarama Catholic Parish Bitereko was commissioned. The church was constructed by Tayebwa in honor of his late grandmother, Julita Kaijarubi Tiruhongyerwa, who had a significant influence on his upbringing.
Rt. Hon. Tayebwa spoke fondly of his late grandmother, who raised him from the age of six. “It was so authentic, it’s hard to put it in words,” he said, highlighting how her spiritual guidance and values shaped him into the man he is today.
