Lubaga Cathedral gets Shs 1bn refurb to mark 100 years
St. Mary’s Cathedral, Lubaga, is undergoing extensive renovation and development as it prepares to celebrate 100 years since its consecration.
The centenary celebrations are scheduled for October 26, 2025. Eng Pius Mugalasi Mugerwa, chairperson of the renovation committee, stated that the project has a budget of Shs 2.5 billion, with half of the funds allocated to renovations and developments.
The goal is to complete all works before the celebration date. The ongoing works are visible to passersby, with the cathedral surrounded by scaffolding and ladders. The committee’s plans include a multi-story parking facility to accommodate the heavy traffic the cathedral attracts.
The current parking area will be upgraded, and new digital signage will replace the scattered signposts. According to plans seen by our reporter, the iconic statue of the Virgin Mary will be renovated, and the outer fence will be upgraded with new gates and a main walkway in front of the statue.
The front yard will also receive new paving and seating. Inside the cathedral, modern lighting and a new sound system will be installed. The episcopal tombs will be reorganized to create three new spaces for future archbishops.
The priests’ cemetery will also be upgraded. Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere noted that the committee will focus on what is feasible for now, with additional projects to be addressed in the future.
He humorously remarked that not everything could be completed at once, citing the ongoing renovations at St. Peter’s as an example. The architectural designs reveal that the cathedral was never fully completed according to its original plans, with the front towers left unfinished.
In addition to the cathedral, the Archbishop’s house, priests’ offices, and a community playground are also being renovated.
About the cathedral
Construction of the current cathedral began in 1914 and was consecrated on December 31, 1925.
It stands on the site of a former palace of Buganda’s Kabaka Muteesa I. According to the book St. Mary’s Cathedral Lubaga by Fr. Yves Tourigny (WF), the current structure is the seventh church to be built on Lubaga Hill.
Six previous churches, all of varying structures, were built between 1891 and 1914 and were destroyed by religious conflicts, an earthquake, and fire.
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