Masaka Diocese Vicar General Urges Leaders to Address Challenges Beyond Independence Celebrations

What the report says

Monsignor Dominic Ssengooba, the Vicar General of Masaka Diocese, has called on Ugandan leaders to move beyond Independence Day speeches and focus on problems he said continue to affect ordinary people. According to Nile Post, he pointed to human rights violations, corruption, rising commodity prices and pressure from higher living costs as issues that should be addressed alongside celebrations of Uganda’s progress since independence in 1962.

Ssengooba made the remarks while presiding over Mass for the 87th anniversary of Bigada Parish in Kyotera District, where the foundation stone for a Uganda Martyrs shrine was also unveiled. He said independence should be measured by improvements in citizens’ daily lives, not only by annual commemorations. He also warned about environmental degradation, saying damage to the natural environment was contributing to drought and affecting communities in different parts of the country.

The cleric urged people to plant trees and protect natural resources, describing environmental care as a shared responsibility. His comments came during a church gathering that also featured appeals for support for parish development projects, including the shrine.

Nile Post reported that parish leaders and community representatives also used the event to encourage Christians to support economic self-reliance, family guidance and church initiatives. During the celebration, 145 children received Confirmation, and the congregation raised Shs43 million toward a shrine project estimated to cost Shs200 million.