When Dr Joseph Sserwadda contested for Member of Parliament- SENIOR CITIZEN SERIES

By Earnest Kivumbi Benjamin – updated at 0833 EAT on Monday 15th May 2023

Presiding Apostle Dr Joseph Sserwadda- courtesy

Today in our Special Series “Senior Citizen” we bring you Dr Joseph Serwadda, Senior Pastor of Victory Christian Center, one of the mega-denominations in Uganda with over 470 branch churches pioneered across Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Sweden, Denmark, USA & UK. The local congregation is 5,000 members strong.

He is a member of the Council of Presidents representing the Born-Again Faith Churches at The Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) constituted by; the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church Of Uganda, the Uganda Orthodox Church, the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), the Seventh-day Adventist Union, the Born Again Faith in Uganda (BAF).

Late Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, Bishop Sserwada and Pastors Robert and Jessica Kayanja look on as a preside sent Yoweri Kaguta Museveni shakes hands with Dr Joseph Sserwadda

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni shaking hand with Pastor Freda Sserwadda

Family

Pastor Sserwadda is married to Freda Serwadda and together they have eight children including David Martin Sebuguzi from an earlier relationship.

Dr Sserwadda is the Owner and CEO of 98.4 Impact FM and Dream TV

The Annual Passover Festival

For the past 25 years, Dr Sserwadda has been Hosting this event in the Largest Stadium in the country, Mandela National Stadium famously known by its local name “Namboole” the stadium is the home to the national football team The Uganda Cranes.

Each year there’s an amazing turnup of the people of God at this gigantic place, and God has touched countless lives through this event.

At the Pick of the Hour crossing over to the next year the night is graced with celebrations, Supplications, Thanksgiving, and Prayers accompanied by Fireworks.

The Passover features several anointed ministers of the gospel over the years Hence the meeting has its own great cloud of witnesses.

Pastor Freda Sserwadda says “Year after Year God’s Mercy and Grace seems to increase because every year we get new experiences and new Testimonies from around the world about what God is doing through the Passover Festival”

Pastor Wilson Bugembe who also graces the festival says “The Move of God in this event is quite Humbling, I have never seen such a number of People all lifting up their hands and worship the living God, The ambious of the voices pulls heavens down.”

“You need to be at the Passover Festival in Person to understand the Holy-Ghost experience everybody is talking about. The First time I was invited to preach a message in the Passover was a key point in my ministry I remember Dr. Serwadda telling me that the message I delivered became the “Punchline” of that year’s event; I was very humbled.” Pastor Chuck Bulsamo

Dr Serwadda is a National Independence Hero and Medalist at the government of Uganda since Jan 2013 till present, National Champion, Government of Uganda, population Secretariat, April 2012-present, Patriotic, Opinionated, fast learner, fighter, non-avenger, and Member Executive Council, Muteesa 1 Royal University 2008-Present, Event Convener, annual Passover Festival organizer held at Namboole Stadium since 2002-Present every 31 December.

Pastor Serwadda believes it’s God who has kept President Museveni in power since 1986. He was one of the religious leaders that advocated for the re-opening of worship centres after they faced closure due to a coronavirus outbreak in early 2020.

Churches and Mosques were the first places to be closed by the government as a measure to protect the country against the spread of the coronavirus.

According to public criticism on the matter, religious leaders wanted churches to re-open to make money, allegations Serwadda downplayed. He said they want to seek God to intervene in the situation and help the world.

Controversy

In 2017, Pastor Joseph Sserwadda was criticized when he asked the government of Uganda to check the rapid population growth by enforcing vasectomy. This was in his Passover message that he organizes every 31 December.

In November 2017, Pastor Serwadda was sued over Shs115 million debts.

According to court documents filed by Mr David Sembatya before the Commercial Court, the agreed purchase price was Shs189million which was to be paid by Pastor Serwadda through KCB Bank for a piece of land on block 383 Plot 4786 Kajansi, Busiro.

In January 2020, Pastor Serwadda attacked Pastor Aloysius Buggingo of House of Prayer Ministries International (HPMI) and asked parliament to quickly pass a marriage bill into law to help silence the people seeking to destabilize the marriage institution in Uganda.

Serwadda’s remarks were in line with Buggingo’s comment on the marriage vow saying ‘till death do us part is not biblical and is the cause of murders between couples, including his separation with his wife while addressing guests at the Inter-Faith prayer breakfast organized by Parliament.

Pastor Serwadda has also had a strange relationship with Pr. Buggingo ever since they parted.

Pr. Serwadda was once a teacher at Lubaale Primary School in Kabulasoke, Gomba District. He studied Journalism and later named his first-born son, David Martin after a BBC presenter that he admired immensely for clarity of speech and deep-voiced Southern England accent.

“I still use albeit differently, and use communication skills for doing what I do today, evangelism,” Pr. Serwadda says.

Politics

Pastor Joseph Sserwadda is a strong ally of President Museveni and much known for speaking his mind on politics, most of the times in favour of Museveni’s government.

He once said that it’s God who has kept President Museveni in power.

Also, during the heat of the debate on taxes on mobile money and over the top (OTT) services, Serwadda mentioned that voters should not vote back MPs who opposed the taxes.

This was during a Sunday Morning show he conducts titled ‘Ebizimba Okukkiriza’ literally means What Build Faith program on his Dream Television.

“But if you brought that person into power, remove them,” said Serwadda during the ‘Ebizimba Okukkiriza’ (What Build Faith) program. But if He who brought him still needs him in power, all you have to do is prepare for what lies ahead.”

According to Serwadda, “Ugandans who talk that way, (that Museveni has overstayed in power) have a problem.” He adds that elections don’t decide who rules a country but God decides. They have failed to understand that it is God leading Uganda. Many think it is elections that bring people to power, no. You can bring him, and God rejects him.”

Dr Joseph Sserwadda once contested for Member of Parliament in Lubaga South with Environmentalist John Ken Lukyamuzi but lost . His popular Sunday Talkshow on Dream TV and Impact FM touches non several topics including politics.

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