By Guest Writer
His Grace, the Archbishop of Kampala, Paul Ssemogerere, presided as the Main Celebrant at the annual thanksgiving ceremony held at UCC House, delivering a powerful homily that deeply resonated with the audience comprising the Commission Board, management, staff, and invited guests.
The thanksgiving was also graced by the Minister of State for ICT and National Guidance, Hon. Godfrey Kabbyanga, the Principal of the Uganda Institute of Information and Communication Technology (UICT), Dr. Frederick Kitoogo, and the Acting Executive Director at National Forestry Authority, Mr. Stuart Maniraguha, among other dignitaries.
Welcoming the Archbishop, the Executive Director of UCC, Hon. Nyombi Thembo, expressed gratitude for His Grace’s acceptance of the invitation and acknowledged the significance of his presence at the Commission’s annual thanksgiving.
Hon. Nyombi highlighted areas of potential collaboration between UCC and the Catholic Church, particularly in child online safety, which he described as an increasingly critical concern. He noted that the Church’s close interaction with both parents and children positions it as a powerful partner in promoting behaviour change, vigilance, and responsible digital use.
In the same spirit, the Executive Director pledged to establish a public access internet centre at Rubaga Cathedral, aimed at providing young people with fast internet access to support innovation, creativity, and digital skills development.
Earlier, in a sermon Hon. Nyombi described as “seminal,” Archbishop Ssemogerere commended UCC for the often unseen sacrifices it makes in regulating Uganda’s communications sector and keeping the country connected and informed.
“You are guardians of our communication space, the silent engineers of national order, the custodians of truth in a digital age,” the Archbishop said. “You ensure that our digital platforms remain safe. You carry the weight of difficult decisions. You sieve the information that reaches the public for safety and protection. For your service, seen and unseen, I thank you deeply.”
He acknowledged the heavy professional responsibilities borne by UCC staff, including balancing public and government expectations, regulating a fast-changing digital landscape, and working under constant pressure and scrutiny, often alongside personal, family, and financial burdens.
The Archbishop described the work of UCC staff as a form of co-creation with God, drawing from Church teaching that human labour is participation in God’s creative work.
“This means that your daily work – drafting policies, resolving disputes, monitoring communication systems, and ensuring online safety – is not ordinary work. It is sacred work. It builds society, and because it is sacred, it must be carried out with integrity, discipline, and excellence,” he said.
Archbishop Ssemogerere emphasized that communication is a divine gift meant to serve humanity and must therefore be treated with reverence and care. He expressed concern over the growing prevalence of misinformation and fake news, abuse of freedom of speech, violation of privacy, publication of harmful and sensitive data, cybercrime, and digital manipulation.
Acknowledging the importance of freedoms such as speech, he hastened to add that such rights or freedoms must go along with responsibility.
“Yes, there is freedom of speech, but also the duty to respect truth. Access to information, but also a duty to protect human dignity. Technology gives power, but also the responsibility not to harm others through this technology. Publishing sensitive information without necessity can ruin a life. Violating privacy can destroy families, abusing communication platforms can erode trust,” he said.
The Archbishop challenged UCC staff to be people of integrity, pointing out that while Uganda is acclaimed as a God-fearing nation, with churches and mosques always full, many names invoking God, and praying regularly is the order of the day, global corruption indices tells a more troubling story.
Turning to the forthcoming elections, the Archbishop challenged UCC staff to stand firmly for truth, peace and fairness.
“In your work fear no pressure, let no political interest, threat or fear silence what is right – Uganda needs men and women who speak honestly, regulate fairly and uphold the dignity of every citizen,” he said.
The colourful thanksgiving Mass was further enlivened by the wonderful voices of the UCC choir, which left the congregation mesmerized. Story sourced from UCC news blog https://www.ucc.co.ug/ucc. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
