President Museveni is the Head of State of Uganda
The government has suspended the registration of new members into the “Boona Bagigahare Nyekundire” poverty alleviation group in the Kigezi region following formal complaints from the Catholic Church in Kabale Diocese.
The group is headed by Senior Presidential Advisor on Agriculture and Local People, Peace Rugambwa.
The suspension was announced on Saturday by Parliament Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa after a closed-door reconciliation meeting involving Rugambwa, Kabale Diocese leaders led by Vicar General John Vianney Sunday, security officials led by Kabale Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Retired Major Godfrey Katamba, and National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders.
Addressing journalists at Rushoroza headquarters, Tayebwa said he acted on a directive from President Museveni to resolve tensions between Rugambwa and the Catholic Church that had escalated on social media.
“Yesterday morning, I received a call from the President instructing me to meet with the Kabale Diocese team and Peace Rugambwa to resolve issues circulating on social media regarding the Catholic Church’s complaints about Madam Rugambwa’s conduct and operations,” Tayebwa said.
He said the government decided to halt the registration exercise because it was being misinterpreted during the election period.
“Due to widespread misconceptions and a lack of detailed stakeholder consultation, we have decided to suspend Peace Rugambwa’s poverty alleviation registration program. Because we are currently in an election cycle, the program was being misinterpreted as a voter registration exercise,” Tayebwa said.
“To avoid further confusion, operations will remain suspended and will resume only after the elections,” he added.
Tayebwa said the program would only restart after broad consultations with stakeholders and welcomed what he described as reconciliation between Rugambwa and the Church.
“I was encouraged by Peace Rugambwa’s apology to the Catholic Church and its leadership, and equally pleased by their gesture of forgiveness. This marks the beginning of a new chapter as we work toward a lasting, collaborative relationship in Kigezi,” he said.
He also rejected claims that the Catholic Church in Kigezi was opposed to Museveni.
“There is a persistent misconception that the Catholic Church in Kigezi does not support President Museveni. Contrary to rumours claiming he received only a handful of votes at Rushoroza, the President actually won that polling station with 63% in 2021,” Tayebwa observed, urging unity and rejection of sectarianism.
The dispute arose after Kabale Diocese issued a letter dated December 31, 2025, warning Catholics against participating in what it described as an unverified exercise that collected names, National Identification Numbers (NINs), and contact details.
Rev. Fr. Christmas Philip Austen, Rector of Rushoroza Cathedral Parish, stated that the Diocese had received complaints alleging that individuals were moving through villages, targeting Catholic-majority areas, particularly Kyanamira Sub-county in Ndorwa East Constituency.
“Ms. Rugambwa confirmed the exercise was intended to support people financially after the elections. However, no official communication was provided to the Diocese or the public to clarify the purpose, legality, or timing,” Fr. Austen said.
Vicar General John Vianney Sunday thanked Museveni for intervening and confirmed that the Church had forgiven Rugambwa.
“The teachings of the Catholic Church foster reconciliation,” he said, adding that the Church remains committed to unity and supporting government programs that improve livelihoods.
Rugambwa thanked the Church for its forgiveness and ordered all group leaders across the 12 districts to immediately halt registration, while urging them to continue mobilizing support for Museveni ahead of the January 15 Presidential election, where the incumbent faces seven opposition candidates.
