Adventist Church Sets Historic Installation For New Union President Kajoba

By Gad Masereka

The Uganda Union Mission of the Seventh day Adventist Church has set the stage for a rare and symbolically charged moment in its history, announcing the forthcoming installation of Pastor Samuel Kajoba as Union President.

The announcement was made on Friday, February 6, 2026, at the Uganda Union Mission headquarters in Kampala, widely known as the Adventist Centre, where church leaders briefed the media on the forthcoming installation ceremony, outlining its significance, timing, and the broader message it carries for the Church and the nation.

Speaking on behalf of the Church, the Communications Director, Uganda Union Kugonza Isaac said the installation ceremony will take place on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at the Najjanankumbi Seventh day Adventist Church, a venue long associated with national level services.

He described the occasion as historic, noting that in nearly a century of Adventist presence in Uganda, this will be only the second formal installation of a Union President.

According to the Church leadership, the decision to proceed with a public installation reflects a renewed emphasis on transparency, accountability, and continuity in spiritual leadership.

The ceremony had initially been planned for an earlier date but was deliberately postponed to allow the country to focus on the recently concluded general elections.

Church leaders said the decision was guided by the Adventist belief in responsible citizenship and respect for national processes. Kugonza told the press that holding the ceremony after the elections sends a message of calm and order, both within the Church and in the wider society.

Beyond the symbolism, the installation is intended to publicly affirm the mandate entrusted to Pastor Kajoba, whose responsibilities include providing spiritual leadership, administrative oversight, and strategic direction for Adventist work across the country.

The Church also disclosed that the Vice President of Uganda is expected to attend as Guest of Honour, subject to protocol confirmation, underscoring what leaders described as a long standing relationship between the Adventist Church and the state based on shared values of moral integrity, education, health, and community development.

Further details on the scale and organisation of the event were shared by Pastor Hanington Ntulo, the Ministerial Director of the Uganda Union Mission.

He explained that the Church has independently budgeted for the ceremony without seeking government funding, planning for an attendance of between one thousand and one thousand five hundred people.

He cautioned that while the Church expects a large turnout, the organisers are mindful of venue capacity and logistical limits. “We have created a budget that fits the occasion,” he said, adding that careful planning is intended to ensure order and dignity during the service.

Pastor Ntulo also used the occasion to reflect on leadership as a spiritual responsibility, reminding both church leaders and public officials that leadership is ultimately about service.

Drawing parallels with national leadership following elections, he said those entrusted with authority should always remember the people they serve and the responsibility given to them by God.

The chairperson of the organising committee, Pastor David Mpande, who also serves as the Adventist Men and Family Life Director, outlined the breadth of invitations extended for the ceremony.

He said religious leaders from other faiths, cultural leaders from Buganda and other kingdoms, Members of Parliament, ministers, local government leaders, business representatives, banks, and institutions such as the Bible Society of Uganda have all been invited.

According to Mpande, more than five hundred invited guests are expected, in addition to church members from across the country. He described the response so far as encouraging and expressed hope for a smooth and prayerful event.

Pastor Kajoba was elected President of the Uganda Union Mission on August 26, 2025, during the East Central Africa Division session held in Nairobi, Kenya.

A veteran church administrator with over four decades of service, he previously served as President of the Central Uganda Conference and has held several other leadership roles within the Church.

He succeeds the previous administration for the 2025 to 2030 term and is supported by a newly elected leadership team that includes Executive Secretary Pastor Nicholas Birigwa Bitamazire and Treasurer Elder Isaac Lyada.

Born in 1958, Pastor Kajoba began his professional life as a primary school teacher before entering pastoral ministry in the mid nineteen nineties. He holds a Bachelor of Theology from Bugema University and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology from the Adventist University of Africa.

Church members widely regard him as a steady leader with a strong emphasis on evangelism, family life ministries, leadership training, and community engagement. He is married to Margaret Kajoba, and together they have six children.

As the Church prepares for the installation, leaders say the timing carries a broader message. Coming shortly after national elections, the ceremony is intended to highlight the value of peaceful leadership transitions and continuity of mission.

For the Adventist Church, the moment marks both a reaffirmation of its nearly century long presence in Uganda and a forward looking commitment to spiritual growth, service, and stability in a changing national landscape.