SEMBABULE, UGANDA — Former Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa’s decision to fund the construction of a church in Sembabule, his former constituency, has ignited a social media debate, particularly on X (formerly Twitter). Many users have questioned the prioritization of a church over other potentially more impactful projects.
President Yoweri Museveni recently inaugurated All Saints Church–Sembabule, located in the West Buganda Diocese, Sembabule District.
The church, with a capacity of 1,200 worshippers, was completed in October 2023 through a collaboration between Kutesa and Tororo Cement Limited.
Kutesa, who has maintained a relatively low public profile since 2021, explained that his motivation for building the church stemmed from his recovery from throat cancer.
“In November 2022, I was diagnosed with throat cancer. I spent six months in Germany undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy. By God’s grace, I recovered. After surviving that difficult experience, I made a promise to build a church in God’s honor,” Kutesa stated.
However, the donation has elicited mixed reactions, with many questioning the choice to construct a church instead of a medical facility.
Bruno Lukyamuzi commented, “Instead of a cancer institute, they opted for another church — as if Uganda was short of places to worship! Apparently, the new plan is to send people to pray when they get throat cancer. What a divine strategy!”
John Paul Okwi added, “Imagine how far this could have pushed the Rotary Cancer Project at Nsambya. Not many Ugandans are lucky enough to travel to Germany for treatment.”
“Great… but what if you had built a hospital to counter cancer?” Moses Walakira remarked.
@discoverkampala posted, “Mr. Sam Kutesa, if you saw our health system lacking, then building a hospital or purchasing cancer treatment machines would have been more impactful. You could still have made a generous offering to the church you worship at.”
Filmmaker Loukman Ali offered a satirical perspective, “That’s exactly what Uganda needed — more churches. After all, most cancer patients clearly lack enough altars to pray at. Imagine if the Germans had only built churches. Where would he have spent those six months of treatment? Priorities. I know he means well, but eh.”
@KMNoah also criticized the decision, stating, “Why not construct a fully functional hospital in that area, ensuring that locals can access the same high-quality treatment you received? How will a church provide cancer care when you yourself sought treatment abroad?”
According to the Global Cancer Observatory’s 2024 report, Uganda recorded 35,968 new cancer cases in 2022. The most prevalent cancer types include cervical, breast, prostate, Kaposi’s sarcoma, ovarian, colon, liver, leukemia, and Burkitt’s lymphoma.
Currently, the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) remains the country’s sole comprehensive facility for specialized cancer treatment.
