“You cannot say that you have sh158bn to purchase cars for Members of Parliament and then claim that you do not have sh28bn to pay medical interns’ allowances, with the excuse that it would crush the economy,” Archbishop Kaziimba said.
By Sadiiki Adams
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, The Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, has urged the Government to reconsider its decision to suspend allowances for medical interns, arguing that the trainees play a critical role in the country’s healthcare system.
Archbishop Kaziimba made the remarks on Sunday while presiding over the ordination and installation service of deacons, a priest, and canons at All Saints’ Cathedral, Nakasero.
Questioning the government’s priorities, the Archbishop said it was difficult to justify spending large sums of money on other expenditures while withholding support for medical interns.
“You cannot say that you have sh158bn to purchase cars for Members of Parliament and then claim that you do not have sh28bn to pay medical interns’ allowances, with the excuse that it would crush the economy. By the way, doctors are rarely in the hospitals. It is the medical interns who are everywhere doing the donkey work,” Archbishop Kaziimba said.
He also called on Ugandans to support health workers as they continue to respond to the Ebola outbreak, urging the public to strictly observe the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the Ministry of Health to contain the spread of the disease.
The service saw seven candidates ordained as deacons, one ordained to the priesthood, and three individuals installed as canons.
Those installed as clergy canons were Rev. Canon Dr. Henry Majwala, who serves as Diocesan Secretary of the Diocese of Kampala and was appointed Canon for Administration and Management, and Rev. Canon Emmanuel Kalagala, Archdeacon of Kisugu Archdeaconry, who was installed as Canon for Ministerial Formation and Clergy Welfare.
The Provincial Fathers’ Union President, Samuel Bakutana, was installed as Lay Canon for Men’s Ministry.
Delivering the sermon under the theme, “Anchored in Christ for Faithful Stewardship,” the Dean of All Saints’ Cathedral Kampala, The Very Rev. Canon Dr. Rebecca Nyegenye, emphasized that faithful stewardship begins with being firmly rooted in Christ and recognizing that all resources ultimately belong to God.
She urged Christians to support the Church’s ministry by ensuring decent accommodation and welfare for clergy, while according them the respect due to servants of God. Dr. Nyegenye also cautioned believers against judging clergy based on their past lives, noting that their sins had been forgiven through the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Addressing the newly ordained and installed clergy, she challenged them to lead exemplary lives marked by integrity, accountability, and faithful stewardship of the resources entrusted to them.
Dr. Nyegenye stressed that Christian leaders are called to reflect Christ in both their public ministry and private conduct, serving as role models to the congregations under their care.
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