Jinja: The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, The Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, made a courtesy visit to the Madhivani Group on Monday, October 28, 2024, touring the renowned sugar mill plant in Kakira, Jinja District.
Kaziimba commended the Madhivani family, founders of the Kakira Sugar Factory, for their role in the socioeconomic transformation of the country.
He praised them for supporting the Church in numerous initiatives both within the Busoga Diocese, where the factory is located, and at the provincial level.
In his holy constituency of Busoga Diocese, the Archbishop held a meeting with management led by Mr. Mayur Madhivani before exploring the operations within the factory.
“The Church of Uganda is one of the greatest beneficiaries of their corporate social responsibility. They have shown me a list of churches they support and other projects they want to partner with us,” Archbishop Kaziimba said.
He added, “In 1990, when I was ordained, I was posted to Nakibizi Church of Uganda for four years. I would regularly visit Kakira. Today, the economy is largely connected to Madhivani: health, education, trade, employment, and other sectors.”
“We thank them for bringing development to this region. They have created employment opportunities, improved education, and constructed hospitals. This is crucial for regional development,” he noted.
Archbishop Kaziimba pledged to invite bishops of the Church of Uganda to visit the factory and discuss strategic partnerships with its management for better household and community transformation.
Mr. Mayur Madhivani, the Joint Group Managing Director, lamented the moral decay among the neighboring youth and called for partnership with the Church of Uganda to combat drugs and crime.
“We have done a lot to transform the lives of the people in the communities in which we operate. However, there is still a challenge with some individuals, especially the youth, who do not want to work and instead steal our fuel and other products. Many of these young people are addicted to drugs,” Mr. Mayur Madhivani said.
Archbishop Kaziimba welcomed Madhivani’s pledge to empower churches, which he said would contribute to deepening faith among young people.
The youth have reportedly turned away from God, with some turning to alcoholism and drug abuse. However, the Archbishop believes that, “If churches are present in communities, the youth could be attracted back to God.”
He added, “We have established schools and community programs to engage them and transform them into better individuals, but many are still caught in ungodly lifestyles. We are calling on the Church of Uganda to be our partners in this.”
The Kakira Sugar Factory was established in 1930 by Muljibhai Madhivani. In addition to processing sugar, it produces 51 MW of green electric power from bagasse—the residue from cane crushing. Half of this is supplied to the national grid through UMEME Ltd.
The company also produces over 20 million liters of high-quality ethanol from molasses, which is used by pharmaceutical industries and other companies, operates a distillery, and produces sweets and confectioneries.
