Over 95 million shillings both in cash and pledges were collected at a fundraising dinner organized by Kigezi Kampala Catholic Residents Association (KKCRA) members and part of the Bishop’s Annual Appeal Fund (BAAF) drive 2024. The function was held on Friday, December 13, 2024 at Hotel Africana.
Chairman KKCRA, Mr. Narcis Tumushabe Rwangoga welcomed the guests to the fundraising dinner and appreciated their generosity. He welcomed the chairman of the BAAF Central Organizing Committee, Mr. Baguma Alex and went on to expound on the different projects that have been established through BAAF including commercial building in Kabale Town (2009-2013), renovation of Rushoroza Cathedral (2014), Centenary Bank Kisoro (2015), construction of a Golden Jubilee House (2016), Radio Maria (2017), adding more shares in Centenary Bank (2018), Centenary Bank Kabale (2019), Centenary Bank Rukungiri (2021/22), St. Ignatius University Kabale (2023). Currently, the project underway is completion of the commercial building which was first established between 2009-2013 but was not completed.
The obvious and visible fruits of BAAF include the Golden Jubilee building and Radio Maria at Rushoroza Hill, renovated Cathedral at Rushoroza, St. Ignatius University Kabale and the real money comes from buildings in Kisoro, Kabale and Rukungiri that Centenary Bank offered to rent – Narcis Rwangoga.
Mr. Alex Baguma, the Chairperson Central Organizing Committee for BAAF 2024 thanked all those who contributed in various ways to the successful drive. He used the opportunity to invite all people of good will to the climax of BAAF 2024 which will be held at Rushoroza Cathedral on Saturday, January 11, 2024.
In his remarks, Rt. Rev. Callist Rubaramira represented by Rev. Fr. Davis Keinamura expressed gratitude to the people for their generosity and urged them to continue supporting their Diocese in order to realize its dream of moving towards financial sustainability. He noted that Kabale Diocese drew up a five year strategic plan which will see the Diocesan become self-reliant through establishment of projects to generate income for the Diocese.
Fr. Keinamura also urged the Christians from Kampala to utilize the Christmas season in order to educate their fellows back in the Diocese to start projects for financial generation. As the Diocese is progressing financially, so should the parishes and households.
The fundraising dinner was followed by a marathon on Saturday, December 14, 2024, held at Kitante Hill School which saw a number of participants winning medals and different hampers. In the children category, the marathon was won by Tumusiime Cephas while the youth category had two winners Mr. Agaba Moses and Mr. Kajura Martin. Each of these won a medal and a Christmas hamper courtesy of Sumz Food Industries Limited.
Fr. Benedict Mubangizi, the caretaker of KKCRA thanked the participants in the marathon and the organizing committee for the preparations. He also thanked Sumz Food Industries Limited for the sponsorship of the marathon and urged members of KKCRA to always exercise in order to remain physically fit.
The BAAF drive in Kampala will be concluded tomorrow (Sunday) with solemn Mass presided over by Rt. Rev. Callist Rubaramira at Uganda Martyrs Shrine Namugongo after which the Parish Coordinators of Christians from parishes of Kabale Diocese but staying in Greater Kampala will announce contributions made by the people they coordinate.
The 2024 BAAF drive aims at collecting funds amounting to shs. 1.5bn in order to complete the commercial building in Kabale Town, located on plot 10, along Kabale-Mbarara Road and this will be generating income for Kabale Diocese.