Namirembe, Kampala – Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, head of the Church of Uganda, has announced plans to establish a comprehensive pension scheme for retired bishops, clergy, and women who have served in the Church.
The announcement was made during a high-level clergy meeting held at the Provincial Secretariat in Namirembe, and it is being welcomed as a long-overdue move to ensure dignity in retirement for those who have dedicated their lives to spiritual leadership and service.
“For too long, our retired church workers especially clergy and women who have served tirelessly in ministry have faced financial difficulties in their old age,” said Archbishop Kaziimba.
“This pension scheme will be a step toward justice, gratitude, and responsibility.”
The Church of Uganda, a prominent Protestant denomination with over 13 million members, has relied heavily on clergy, deacons, lay leaders, and women in various service roles, such as catechists, nurses, administrators, and parish support workers.
Yet, most of these individuals, particularly in rural dioceses, have not been enrolled in any formal retirement benefit program, leaving them vulnerable to poverty and health insecurity once they leave active ministry.
The Archbishop noted that the pension crisis has been growing for decades, with retired bishops and priests depending on congregational charity, family support, or meager personal savings to survive.
“Our mission should not end in service. It must extend into how we honour those who served,” he added.
The proposed pension scheme will be managed at the provincial level, with plans to decentralize contributions and access through all 37 dioceses in Uganda. The scheme will be mandatory for all new clergy entrants and open to current serving ministers who wish to enroll.
The scheme is expected to cover monthly contributions from clergy salaries and diocesan budgets, top-up grants from provincial offices, donors, and development partners, healthcare and housing support for elderly clergy and special provisions for women in long-term church roles, such as Mothers’ Union leaders, evangelists, and catechists
Church officials say discussions with financial institutions and pension management experts are ongoing to ensure accountability, sustainability, and transparency.
Clerics across Uganda have welcomed the news with enthusiasm and relief.
Rev. Canon Benon Kintu from Luweero Diocese said:
“Many of our predecessors died in poor conditions. We pray this scheme becomes law across dioceses, it will boost morale and security for younger clergy.”
Ms. Rose Atwooki, a long-serving church nurse and Mothers’ Union coordinator in Fort Portal, echoed the sentiment:
“As women, we often serve behind the scenes for years with no retirement hope. This is the first time we’re being seen. Archbishop Kaziimba is truly reforming the church.”
Meanwhile, younger clergy have urged the church to ensure proper enforcement and avoid politicization of the scheme at the diocesan level.
This pension plan is the latest in a series of institutional reforms championed by Archbishop Kaziimba since taking office in 2020.
His leadership has often blended spiritual discipline with structural modernization, a style many churchgoers say is reviving public trust in the institution.
“This is not just about pensions. It’s about the church growing up and being accountable to its servants,” said Rev. Dr. Jane Apolot, a theologian and gender justice advocate.
The Church’s Provincial Assembly is expected to review and formally adopt the pension scheme in its next sitting scheduled for October 2025. Once passed, implementation will roll out in phases, starting with pilot dioceses in central and western Uganda.
Archbishop Kaziimba has also appealed to government, business partners, and well-wishers to support the initiative, noting that Church-run schools, hospitals, and parishes all depend on a motivated and secure workforce.
The Church of Uganda’s proposed pension scheme represents a milestone in safeguarding the welfare of its long-serving religious workers, particularly in a country where public pension access is limited and clergy often retire with little or no financial security.
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