Summary:
- Bishop of West Ankole Diocese, Rt. Rev. Johnson Twinomujuni, challenged believers to use what God has given them for His work.
MITOOMA: The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, has praised renowned businessman and philanthropist Dr. Ben Mugasha, commonly known as BEMUGA, for his significant contributions to the Church and its ministers.
Archbishop Kaziimba made these remarks on Saturday at St. Mark Church of Uganda, Kyeibare, in the West Ankole Diocese, during a thanksgiving service for Dr. Mugasha and the commissioning of a house he built for the parish priest.
“I came to know Dr. Ben through my elder brother, Archbishop Emeritus Dr. Henry Luke Orombi. Ben is well known for his love for the Church, supporting its development, and assisting its ministers,” Archbishop Kaziimba said.
He added, “It’s a difficult situation when a priest, living in a leaking house, tries to bless you while you rest in comfort. The priest is walking or riding a bicycle while you drive a fleet of cars. Such a blessing is likely to carry sorrow.”
In his sermon, referencing Luke 17:15-17, where ten lepers were healed but only one returned to give thanks, Archbishop Kaziimba likened Dr. Mugasha to the one leper who returned to express gratitude to Jesus.
The Bishop of West Ankole Diocese, Rt. Rev. Johnson Twinomujuni, challenged believers to use what God has given them for His work.
“Always ask yourself: If I hadn’t been born, what would the world have missed in my absence? Whenever there is a call to support the building of churches and related projects, it’s a golden opportunity to give back to God a part of what He has given you,” Bishop Twinomujuni said.
Dr. Mugasha shared that when God healed him, he realized he had been given a second chance at life because his work was not yet finished.
“A few years ago, at a significant event, my liver burst. I was taken to Nairobi for specialized treatment. Doctors gave me a 5% chance of survival, but God gave me 100%. They had even marked my hand for the mortuary, but when they returned, they found me drinking tea,” Dr. Mugasha recalled.
He continued, “God instructed me to build a house for the parish priest, who was living in a dilapidated home. I was moved by this, and I don’t want the house named after me but after God.”
In his testimony, Dr. Mugasha recounted an incident in 2020 when, at a friend’s event in Rukungiri, his liver was reported to have burst. His blood pressure spiked to 235/190.
“The doctors in Nairobi found that my gallbladder had rotted, and I had a tennis-ball-sized tumor. They doubted I would survive due to the blood clots that formed. But by God’s grace, I lived.”
“Today marks 1,694 days (4 years, 7 months, and 20 days) since I survived. As a token of my gratitude and for my 62nd birthday, I offer this vicarage as a gift,” Dr. Mugasha said.
The Minister of Works and Transport, Hon. Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, commended Dr. Mugasha for giving thanks to God.
“When I survived a shooting incident involving 50 bullets, I witnessed God’s hand at work. No military tactic saved me; it was God’s miraculous protection. Since then, I have dedicated my life to His service. It’s crucial to give thanks,” Gen. Wamala remarked.
During the service, over UGX 132 million, 200 bags of cement, and two cows were collected to support the completion of St. Mark Church of Uganda, Kyeibare.
Retired Bishops Yona Katonene and Eng. George Bagamuhunda, members of Parliament, government officials, and other dignitaries were in attendance.
