By Dismas Nuwaine
The Christian community all over the world on 3rd June join Uganda to celebrate the 45 Uganda martyrs (22 Catholic and 23 Anglican) who were persecuted and killed during Kabaka Mwanga’s tyrannical rule.
Their story is a reflection of their unwavering faith, strength, and diligence in their service to God and their country.
In light of this, URA has joined the Nebbi Diocese’s “Namugongo Fundraising Drive,” a spirited effort by the 21-year-old North Western establishment to fundraise about UGX 1. 3 billion required to animate this year’s celebrations.
Yesterday, the Revenue Body hosted His Grace. The Most Reverend. Raphael P’Mony Wokorach, the Archbishop Designate of Gulu Archdiocese and Bishop of Gulu.
Addressing the faithful, in the Holy Mass, the Commissioner of Internal Audit, Herbert Rusoke, who represented the Commissioner General, thanked the URA community for their generous contributions towards the cause.
“We pledged to give in UGX. 20 million and so far, I have with me UGX. 13,800,200, which we have collected so far, and we are handing it over in person. This is the money that has been mobilized amongst the staff,” said Rusoke.
“On behalf of management and the staff, URA as a corporate entity has officially contributed shs 5 million, money that will directly be wired to your bank accounts,” continued Rusoke, a member of the URA Catholic community.
In his sermon, His Grace. The Archbishop Elect called upon the URA community to work diligently and put service above everything else as they dispatch their duties in building Uganda.
“Let us be a blessing to the people we serve,” said Wokorach, before he added, “The Lord has called us to this vocation for a reason. In whatever we do, even our daily work, let’s give it our very best. Through our humble service, we can even win disciples.”
The senior clergyman also noted that the work of URA as a government authority is foundational to the growth of the country. He also commended the revenue body for steadfast improvement over the years in their operations.
“Since its foundation, URA has made significant strides in serving Ugandans. Finances are necessary components in carrying out our mission, and URA has been charged with the responsibility of revenue mobilization. Dealing with finances is a divine mandate,” said the Archbishop Elect.
“My prayer is that celebrating a day like this will inspire integrity in all the workforce, and this is something that requires divine intervention to be achieved,” he continued.
The Chaplain and URA Catholic community also implored the faithful to be mindful in their actions, to “stop and think” through situations before making decisions, and as such, to make “informed decisions.”
The Chairman URA Catholic Community and Manager of Customs, Ojambo Stephen Paul, said that URA would continue to support the efforts of the church in mobilizing the rest of the pledged money as a community. He made it clear that the cause is not just for the “Catholic community” but “for the entire community as a whole.”
