The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Jinja City’s Miracle Center-Oasis of Life Church, a prominent Born-Again institution, has officially closed after failing to resolve rental arrears accumulated over nearly a decade. The church, rooted in the 1970s and 1980s neo-Pentecostal “Kiwempe movement,” was established to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ across Uganda, particularly in Buganda and Eastern Uganda.
Pastor David Ssebuwufu, a young evangelist at the time, co-founded the church alongside Pastor Robert Kahwa in the abandoned East African Cinema, also known as the Odion Cinema. The cinema, left vacant after the 1980-1986 National Resistance Army war, was repurposed as a place of worship.
Pastor Ssebuwufu initially rented the space from local authorities until it was reportedly repossessed by its Indian owners in 1993. Ssebuwufu maintained a cordial relationship with the original landlord, Gandesha, until he died in 2004. The property was later managed by a new landlord, Rajin Taylor, with whom Ssebuwufu signed a tenancy agreement.
Financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the church’s struggles, as the suspension of services cut off its primary income source. In September 2024, Taylor issued a three-month notice for the church to vacate the premises, citing a change in property use.
Ssebuwufu attempted to negotiate with Taylor but was unsuccessful. On the eviction day, security operatives from the UPDF and police were deployed to oversee the process. Ssebuwufu claims he had started the process of purchasing the property and that the landlord had offered him a payment plan. However, Taylor, through his lawyer Patrick Waiswa, accused Ssebuwufu of failing to honor the agreement and amassing rental arrears over the past decade.
Waiswa revealed that in 2013, Ssebuwufu launched a property purchase campaign within the church, introducing a special collection basket during services. However, five years later, he had neither paid the required rental fees nor made substantial payments toward purchasing the property. This led Taylor to obtain a court order for eviction.
Efforts by Jinja City Resident Commissioner Richard Gulume to mediate between the parties failed after Ssebuwufu declined to pay 250 million Shillings in accumulated arrears, excluding the COVID-19 period. The church’s closure has left many congregants devastated. Esther Namulondo, a long-time member, described the Miracle Center as her “second home” and expressed sorrow over losing cherished childhood memories.
Ibrahim Lukwago, a choir member for 15 years, said the church shaped his character and lamented the leadership’s failure to preserve its legacy. “I will forever miss the cinema-like church,” he remarked. To prevent unrest among the congregation, authorities have allowed Ssebuwufu two weeks to peacefully relocate church property.
However, the situation has raised concerns about misinformation among church followers, some of whom blame the eviction on external forces. The closure of Miracle Center-Oasis of Life marks the end of an era for a church that had become a spiritual beacon for many in Jinja. Its followers now face the challenge of finding new places of worship as they come to terms with the loss of a beloved institution.
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