Bishop Kugonza challenges Christians to embrace coffee growing to fight poverty
“The church cannot develop without believers who are financially stable. You should embrace coffee growing to elevate you from poverty to the money economy,” he said.
Kiryandongo: The Bishop of Masindi-Kitara Diocese, the Right Reverend Joshua Kugonza, has challenged Christians in Kiryandongo District to embrace coffee growing as a long-term strategy for improving household incomes and fighting poverty.
Bishop Kugonza made the call over the weekend at St. Andrew’s Church of Uganda, where he presided over a confirmation service and confirmed more than 100 children into the Anglican faith.
In his sermon, the bishop urged Christians to pursue both spiritual growth and economic empowerment, noting that financial instability remains a challenge for many households.
“In areas I have moved, I have found out that many Christians are not financially stable,” Bishop Kugonza said.
He encouraged families to establish coffee plantations, describing coffee as a long-term source of income that can help households transition from subsistence livelihoods to the money economy.
“The church cannot develop without believers who are financially stable. You should embrace coffee growing to elevate you from poverty to the money economy,” he said.
Bishop Kugonza said the diocese had already launched a coffee-growing initiative dubbed “Coffee Plantation Behind Every Kitchen” aimed at encouraging Christians to grow coffee and improve their livelihoods.
He commended the Kiryandongo Archdeaconry headquarters for taking the lead in the initiative, noting that it has about five acres of coffee plantation, alongside other churches that have also embraced coffee growing.
The bishop encouraged other Christians to follow suit and make coffee growing part of their household economic activities.
Bishop Kugonza also advised Christians with small pieces of land to consider replacing sugarcane with coffee, arguing that coffee can be intercropped with other crops and does not require large expanses of land.
He urged farmers to adopt agricultural practices that can maximize the productivity of their available land while generating sustainable household incomes.
The bishop commended leaders in Kiryandongo for supporting the work of the church and promoting the spread of the gospel.
He also called on Christians and community leaders to embrace unity and avoid divisive politics, saying communities should instead focus on development.
“Let us desist from politics of division and instead work for the development of our communities,” he urged.
Bishop visits Musaigi family
Before the church service, Bishop Kugonza had breakfast at the home of Kaija Steven Musaigi, where he prayed for God’s blessings, protection and guidance upon the family.
The bishop encouraged the family to continue loving and serving God faithfully.
Musaigi thanked Bishop Kugonza for accepting the invitation to visit and share a meal with his family. He pledged to continue serving God and offered a cow as a thanksgiving gift in appreciation of the bishop’s visit.
Bishop Kugonza is on his first official pastoral tour of Kiryandongo Archdeaconry since his consecration on August 3, 2025.
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