Kampala Diocese’s Kabulengwa Fellowship has grown from a small home-based congregation of about 20 worshippers during the COVID-19 lockdown to a thriving church community of more than 400 members in just six years.
The fellowship was established in 2020 when churches across Uganda were closed following the outbreak of COVID-19, forcing Christians to worship from their homes through online services. While virtual worship offered a temporary solution, many believers longed for physical fellowship, leading to the birth of Kabulengwa Fellowship under the government’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Today, the fellowship is regarded as one of the fastest-growing worshipping communities in the Diocese of Kampala.
Led by Priest-in-Charge Rev. Medard Kwikiriza, the church has also registered remarkable progress in infrastructure development. The congregation has completed construction of a permanent church building on a 50-decimal piece of land in Kabulengwa, Nansana Municipality, and is now planning to acquire additional land and build a residence for the resident priest.
On Sunday, July 12, 2026, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda and Bishop of Kampala Diocese, The Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, paid a pastoral visit to the fellowship.
He was accompanied by the Diocesan Secretary, Rev. Canon Dr. Henry Majwala; the Archdeacon of Makerere Archdeaconry, Rev. Canon Michael Mukhwana; the Vicar of St. Stephen’s Kitara Church of Uganda, Rev. Kenneth Karyeija; and the Head of Laity for Makerere Archdeaconry, Canon Frank Twine, accompanied by his wife, Canon Christine Twine.
Kabulengwa Fellowship is a daughter church of St. Stephen’s Kitara Church of Uganda, a Runyankole/Rukiga-speaking congregation located along Queens Way in Kampala.
While preaching, Archbishop Kaziimba reminded Christians that the true strength of the Church lies not in its buildings or membership numbers but in its spiritual foundation.
Quoting Matthew 16:18, 1 Corinthians 3:11 and 1 Corinthians 3:16, he stressed that Jesus Christ remains the only foundation upon which the Church should be built. He urged believers to remain committed to worshipping God, nurturing fellow Christians and spreading the Gospel as the congregation continues to expand.
The Archbishop also encouraged the church leadership to gradually introduce Luganda alongside Runyankole and Rukiga during services to accommodate the area’s changing population and make the fellowship more inclusive.
Speaking on behalf of the development committee, chairman David Mugyenyi said the church’s next phase of development includes purchasing neighbouring land, constructing a residence for the resident priest, paving the church compound, buying pews and building a stone retaining wall.
“We are now working towards the vision of expansion. Negotiations have begun with neighbouring landowners, who are willing to sell us additional land. Our immediate priorities also include paving the church compound, purchasing pews and constructing a stone retaining wall,” Mugyenyi said.
The fundraising drive received a major boost during the Archbishop’s visit, with more than UGX 80 million raised through cash contributions and pledges to support the church’s ongoing development projects.
