BY F MALE: The long awaited new All Saints Cathedral is scheduled to be opened for worship on November 1st this year.
Archbishop Steven Kazimba Mugalu, accompanied by other clergy, addressed journalists on Thursday, noting that construction began in 2010 to meet the growing demand for worship space and other cathedral needs.
The new cathedral, designed with two galleries and no middle columns, will be officially opened for worship in November. The interiors are fully completed, but exterior work is expected to continue into next year, according to Archbishop Kazimba Mugalu.
Vivian Igundura, the chairperson of the building committee, reported that 18 billion shillings have been spent to reach the current stage of the cathedral.
The initial architectural estimate was around 32 billion shillings, but the final cost is expected to be no more than 25 billion.
The cathedral features four chapels to accommodate simultaneous activities and prayers while the main service takes place. It will also house diocesan offices, the All Saints Cathedral parish offices, a library, and a canteen.
For motorists, the cathedral offers two levels of underground parking and a twelve-level bell tower. The bell tower includes prayer points on each level, with each point accommodating over twenty people.
Archbishop Kazimba also announced the nomination of Venerable Reverend Canon Fredrick Jackson Baalwa as the new assistant bishop, succeeding Dr. Hannington Mutebi, who is retiring at the end of the year.
Baalwa, the Archdeacon of the Southern Archdeaconry and Vicar of St. Stephen’s Parish Kisugu has been confirmed by the synod members and will be the fifth assistant bishop of the Diocese of Kampala.
On the same day, five new clergy will be ordained and three canons of the cathedral will be installed.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is expected to be the guest of honor, with Reverend Alfred Olwa, Bishop of Lango Diocese, set to deliver the sermon.
The Diocese of Kampala is one of the 39 constituent dioceses of the Church of Uganda and is located at All Saints Cathedral, Nakasero Hill, Kampala.
Founded in 1912 as a chapel for the European colonial hospital, it served a small congregation of colonial administrators, hospital staff, and patients.
In 1962, the chapel became a parish church, expanding to include Africans and Asians. In 1972, it was elevated to a pro-cathedral and later to a cathedral for the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, with each transition leading to an increase in worshipers and subsequent expansions.