Former Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa’s decision to build a church in Sembabule, where he once served as a Member of Parliament, has sparked widespread debate on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter). Many users questioned whether constructing a church was the most impactful gesture he could have made.
Over the weekend, President Yoweri Museveni officially opened All Saints Church–Sembabule, located in the West Buganda Diocese, Sembabule District.
The church, which can accommodate 1,200 worshippers, was completed in October 2023 through a partnership between Kutesa and Tororo Cement Limited.
In his remarks during the event, Kutesa — who has largely remained out of the public eye since 2021 — revealed that he was inspired to build the church after battling and recovering 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 said.
However, his gesture has drawn mixed reactions, with many questioning why he chose to build a church instead of a hospital.
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 weighed in sarcastically, “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: “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 common types include cervical, breast, prostate, Kaposi’s sarcoma, ovarian, colon, liver, leukemia, and Burkitt’s lymphoma.
Currently, the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) remains the only comprehensive facility in the country providing specialized cancer treatment.
