By Spy Uganda
Kampala-President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been applauded for honouring one of Uganda’s most revered religious figures, retired Kampala Archbishop Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala, with a brand-new vehicle, in a gesture described as recognition of a lifetime devoted to God, peace and national service.
The President last week gifted the 99-year-old Cardinal a new vehicle, fulfilling one of the commitments he had made to the veteran Catholic leader.
The gesture has now attracted praise from His Eminence Dr. Joseph Serwadda, Presiding Apostle of the Born Again Faith in Uganda and Co-Chair of the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU).
In a message to President Museveni, Serwadda said the significance of the gesture was not merely the vehicle but the fact that the President had chosen to recognise Cardinal Wamala during his lifetime.
“The bigger gesture to me is not necessarily the gifts, but mainly that of honoring the Cardinal during his lifetime,” Serwadda said.
He described Wamala as a distinguished spiritual leader whose decades of ministry had left an enduring imprint on Uganda through his advocacy for peace, unity, moral leadership and social transformation.
Born on December 15, 1926, in Kamaggwa Village, Lwaggulwe Parish in Masaka District, Emmanuel Wamala rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential Catholic leaders in Uganda.
He was ordained a priest in Rome on December 21, 1957, after studying at Bukalasa Minor Seminary, Katigondo National Major Seminary and the Pontifical Urban University in Rome.
In 1981, he was consecrated the first Bishop of the newly established Diocese of Kiyinda-Mityana. He was later appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Kampala in 1988 and succeeded Cardinal Emmanuel Nsubuga as Archbishop of Kampala in February 1990.
His stature reached the universal Church in 1994 when Pope John Paul II elevated him to the College of Cardinals, making him the second Ugandan to attain the rank of Cardinal.
Wamala served as Archbishop of Kampala until his retirement in 2006, when he handed over to the late Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga. But his influence was never confined to the Catholic Church.
He served as President of the Uganda Episcopal Conference and President of the Uganda Joint Christian Council, while also becoming one of the founding figures of the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda in 2001.
His leadership in interfaith affairs placed him among Uganda’s important voices for dialogue, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.
Cardinal Wamala’s legacy stretches into education and economic empowerment. He served as the first Rector of Uganda Martyrs University and was associated with the growth of Centenary Bank, whose mission of extending financial services to ordinary Ugandans reflected his broader conviction that faith should contribute to human and economic development.
He also became known as a mentor to generations of priests and a moral voice during some of Uganda’s most difficult political and social periods.
For decades, he preached reconciliation and peaceful engagement, urging Ugandans to overcome political, ethnic and religious divisions and work towards the common good.
His national and international stature was further demonstrated when he participated in the 2005 Papal Conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.
Serwadda: Wamala Deserves to Be Celebrated
Serwadda said the President’s gesture sends a powerful message about the importance of appreciating citizens who have dedicated their lives to serving the country. He described Cardinal Wamala as more than a Catholic leader, saying his influence had crossed religious boundaries to touch Uganda’s national life.
“His life reminds future generations that true leadership is measured not only by positions held, but by lives touched, peace promoted and institutions built,” Serwadda said.
The Born Again Faith leader prayed for God to continue granting Cardinal Wamala good health, strength and more years of fruitful service.
He also commended President Museveni for what he described as an act of gratitude, honour and unity.
At 99, Cardinal Wamala remains one of Uganda’s oldest surviving religious statesmen and a living repository of the country’s modern religious history, from the turbulent years of post-independence Uganda to the evolution of the country’s interfaith and development institutions.
For Serwadda, therefore, the new vehicle represents more than a presidential gift; it is a timely salute to a man whose life has been defined by faith, service, mentorship and nation building.
