Archbishop State Burial
President Yoweri Museveni has on Tuesday morning paid his respect to the deceased Kampala Archbishop Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga .
In what has been described as a state mass, only the president, Yoweri Museveni, his wife Janet Kataha, state officials, and religious leaders were allowed to access the mass venue at Kololo Independence grounds.
Among those present included Prime minister Ruhakan Rugunda , vice president Edward Ssekandi ,Speaker of Parliament Rebbecca Kadaga ,Health minister Ruth Acheng ,ICT Minister Judith Nabaakoba ,Minister for Presidency Esther Mbayo were present at the event .
Also Religious leaders including Archbishop cHurch of Uganda his Grace Kazimba Mugalu ,Uganda Catholic Bishops Conference Chairman Joseph Antony Zziwa among others.
Government announced it will accord a state burial to deceased Kampala Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga.
Speaking at the event, Museveni explained that he ordered a state funeral for Late Lwanga because in the interest of building a national culture.
Archbishop State Burial
He explained that the government has always honored politicians ,national leaders and traditional leaders yet religious also leaders deserve to be granted such.
The catholic church is one of the biggest churches we have ,it has many members as part of building national culture ,it cannot be about honoring political people and traditional leaders,church leaders are also national leaders.
He went on to say that Archbishops are very rare ,hence the need for that.
I ordered for this funeral because Lwanga has been an archbishop and we only have 4 of them ,one in northern ,in Eastern,In western and this one here
He also praised the archbishop for engaging in the liberation struggle as a young man prior to the NRM rising to power . Museveni explained it as another reason for honoring the late.
He said Lwanga became known to him through the late cardinal Emmanuel Nsubuga who worked with Lwanga in supprting NRA rebels with food suppliesin Luwero.
At the state mass ,the archbishop was honored with a 17 gun salute.
He will be laid to rest on Thursday this week inside the church at Lubaga cathedral.
Dr Lwanga will be the third prelate to be buried inside Lubaga Cathedral.
The first prelate to be buried in there was Bishop Edouard Michaud, a Canadian Clergyman who was one of the priest missionaries known as White Fathers. He was the vicar Apostolic of Uganda from 1933 until he died in 1945.
