Yesterday, the bells of Mount Sion Prayer Centre Bukalango fell silent:
Monsignor Expedito Magembe, 88 — healer, hymn-writer, defender of the poor — breathed his last. The Kampala Archdiocese confirmed the news, hailing the founder of Uganda’s largest Catholic charismatic shrine and guardian of more than 100 orphans. (The Independent Uganda:)
“Fr. Magembe turned Bukalango into a home for the homeless and a battlefield against evil.” — New Vision profile on his 50-year priestly jubilee (Dec 2023) (New Vision)
1 A Shepherd Who Fed Body and Soul
- Opened Mt Sion in 2001 after years of roadside crusades.
- Led three weekly healing Masses that drew thousands, from ministers to market vendors.
- Sheltered widows, schooled orphans, and raised an army of prayer warriors who now span the globe. (frmagembe.blogspot.com)
2 Why His Voice Echoed Beyond Pulpits
Father Magembe’s homilies were blunt: condemning corruption, urging leaders to “fear God more than guns,” and reminding the oppressed that “the Red Sea parts when Moses steps forward.” His microphone became a megaphone for justice long before social media.
3 A Loss Felt from Bukalango to the Diaspora
Within hours, Ugandan exiles in Johannesburg, London, and Boston lit red candles beside their People-Power berets. WhatsApp groups flooded with his hymns “Hallelujah Kannyimbe” and recordings of his deliverance prayers. For a movement fighting dictatorship, Magembe’s death feels like the fall of a frontline medic.
4 Carrying the Torch: What We Must Do
- Attend or stream the vigil — Mt Sion will host an all-night prayer this Friday (details on their Facebook page).
- Share his sermons under the hashtag #MagembeLives; let his words keep shaking palaces.
- Support his orphan fund via the official Bukalango account; the children he rescued must not be orphaned twice.
- Red-Ribbon Tribute — tie a red strip on your wrist this week; red for the Blood of Christ and the struggle for a liberated Uganda.
Sources
- Independent (Uganda) — “Kampala Archdiocese announces death of Msgr. Expedito Magembe,” 9 May 2025. (The Independent Uganda:)
- Fr Magembe Blog — biography & orphan-care figures. (frmagembe.blogspot.com)
- New Vision — “Monsignor Magembe celebrates 50 years in priesthood,” 12 Dec 2023. (New Vision)
