Pope knights Katongole, Mama Mbire for exemplary service

Mama Tereza Mbire and industrialist Emmanuel Katongole are some of the eight Ugandans, Pope Francis has knighted in recognition of their outstanding service to the Catholic Church.

Papal orders of knighthood or Pontifical orders of knighthood are orders of knighthood bestowed in the name of the Pope of the Catholic Church by his authority as head of the Holy See and sovereign of the Vatican City State.

Peter Kasenene

The five new Papal knights and three Dames laywomen include retired Professor of Makerere University, Peter Kasenene, the former head of laity Uganda and also the former head of laity Mbarara Archdiocese, now a parishioner of Mbuya Parish.

The other dames are Tereza Mbire of Kasanga Parish (the Mother of businessman Charles Mbire), Regina Yiga from Munyonyo Parish and in charge of Good Samaritan in Kampala Archdiocese, and Mary Nansubuga, 74, the long-serving member of Kampala Archdiocese.

Tereza Mbire1

Katongole, the new chancellor of Nkumba University, is also the Executive Chairman of Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited (CQCIL), producers of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) among others.

Also knighted is Joseph Yiga, the managing director of Steel and Tube Industries, a parishioner of Munyonyo Parish.

Joseph Yiga1

Yiga was born from Bisanje Parish in Masaka diocese to a catechist Joseph Matovu Black (RIP) and Matilda Nansubuga Matovu.   

Dr Saturations Kasozi Mulindwa, 67, the chairman of Lubaga Foundation, was also knighted as well as Anthony Nakalya Mateega, the former head of laity Kampala Archdiocese and now vice-head of laity Uganda from Bunnamwaya Parish.   

 

Regina Yiga

The chancellor of Kampala Archdiocese, Fr Dr Pius Male Sentumbwe, on behalf of the Archbishop of Kampala, Cyprian Kizito-Lwanga, announced the appointments during the scientific Religious day held at Pope Paul the VI Memorial Hotel, Ndeeba in the suburbs of Kampala on Sunday.

Fr Male says names of the candidates were sent to the Pope requesting the Holy See to recognize and reward them for their activeness in the apostolate and mastership in the Church.

Dr Kasozi Mulindwa

While addressing the congregation of religious leaders, Lwanga decried the increasing insecurity in Uganda, and called for reconciliation. 

Lwanga has decried the spate of murders that have rocked, calling for the government’s intervention to ensure security in all parts of the country.

“What is going on in the country is not good in terms of security, many people are mourning the death and arrest of their loved ones.”