Archbishop Nkoyoyo: A child of miracles

In 1983, Nkoyoyo was ordained as the first bishop of the newly created Mukono Diocese after serving as assistant bishop of Namirembe Diocese.  From Mukono, Nkoyoyo’s star shot higher when he was ordained Archbishop of the Church of Uganda replacing Yona Okoth in 1995. He served as Archbishop for nine years and retired in 2005 when he clocked 65 years and was replaced by Henry Luke Orombi who was also later replaced by the present Archbishop, Stanley Ntagali.

When Nkoyoyo was still bishop of Mukono diocese, former Matale Boarding Primary School in Buikwe District was renamed Nkoyoyo Boarding Primary School in appreciation for the work he had done in the diocese.

Nkoyoyo has died while he was still in charge of overseeing the completion of the Martyrs’ Museum at the Anglican shrine at Namugongo locally known as Nakiyanja where he was laid to rest on Tuesday.  Though looking frail at a thanksgiving service organised for him at Namirembe Cathedral after his return from treatment in UK last year, Nkoyoyo had told the gathering of his determination to complete the museum though part of the museum is already in operation and attracting local and foreign tourists.

Nkoyoyo always described his involvement in construction of the Martyr’s Shrine as heeding God’s voice.

“On June 12, 2013 when I had come on a routine visit to the martyr’s shrine, I heard a voice telling me that this place is in a very bad state and needs rehabilitation. I answered the voice that I am helpless because I am retired and the rehabilitation of the place should be the work of the active bishops or archbishop. But the voice commanded me that I had to be the one to spearhead the renovation,” Nkoyoyo explained in the newspaper interview about the construction of the Martyr’s Museum and renovation of the Anglican shrine.

He said because he was retired, he had to first approach the church hierarchy and tell them of his vision which they supported.

Nkoyoyo says later he got another vision where God was showing him how the museum would look like and it is these instructions which he gave the architects who designed the museum.

When Pope Francis visited Uganda in 2015, Nkoyoyo convinced the Catholic Church to make it part of his program to visit the site of the construction of the museum and the head of the Roman Catholic Church accepted the invitation and went there and prayed with Nkoyoyo, Ntagali, and Kampala Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga to bless the site.

Explaining why he invited the Pope to pray at the Anglican shrine, Nkoyoyo says he wanted to show that the museum is not only for Anglicans but also Catholics, Muslims, and other religions.

Nkoyoyo built many churches, including one on his private property in Kireku Zone in Bweyogerere, near Kampala which residents nearby go to for services every Sunday and hold Christian-related parties.

Before spearheading the construction of the Namugongo Martyrs’ Museum, Nkoyoyo’s hard working spirit did not escape the eye of Kabaka Ronald Mutebi who appointed him to head a committee to oversee the development of the Lubiri Palace.

However, unlike in the case of the Martyr’s Shrine, Nkoyoyo’s Lubiri Committee has not achieved much. Unlike some people who think Western religion is against African culture, Nkoyoyo was also said to be an active member of his Nkima (monkey) clan.

Nkoyoyo is survived by a widow, Ruth Nalweyiso who he married in 1965 and five children.