Parliament intervenes in school row with church

Following concern from legislators, the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, has directed Ntinda Primary School to grant road access to parishioners of St. Charles Lwanga Catholic Church. 

Nabbanja was responding to a matter of national Importance raised by the Busiro County East MP, Hon Medard Lubega Sseggona, who said that the Ministries of Lands and Kampala seem to be negligent on the issue of land. 

“I order the management of the school to allow the parishioners to access the Church as we finalise on this matter,” Nabbanja said, amidst applause for MPs. 

In October this year, the Kampala Capital City Authority accused the Uganda Land Commission of fraudulently leasing the land (comprised in Plot 20-26) on which the school sits to the Kampala Archdiocese of the Catholic Church and wants the High Court to cancel the title.

Sseggona was concerned that the dispute between the Catholic Church and the Ntinda Primary School was escalated by the two ministries.  

“The parishioners cannot access the church because the school has blocked all access including parking for the church. The ministries in charge have failed to resolve this escalating the issue,” he said.

He added that as an Anglican, he was not ready to witness a religious war over a simple matter which the two ministers should resolve.

The Minister of Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Hon Minsa Kabanda, said that several meetings had been held to resolve the impasse. 

Deputy Speaker, Anita Among, who chaired the sitting said: “I personally went to St Charles Lwanga Church last Sunday and I was denied access to worship. We need to know the way forward next week. Parishioners need to access their rights to worship.”