Kituntu District

The Kituntu District is the ‘door’ to the Karagwe Diocese: On the way from Bukoba, lake Victoria or from Kampala, Uganda, via Kyaka to Karagwe and Ngara, one is going to enter Karagwe through the Kituntu District.

Rev. Leopold Materu and Charles Kaihura. (Photo: Jorg Staehler)
The word ‘Kituntu’ has different meanings:
  • As a geographical term, Kituntu refers to the high plateau of Karagwe with a height of 1.500 up to 1.800 metres above sea level.
  • Kituntu also is the name of a village between Katembe and Rwambaizi.
  • The Kituntu parish has 9 congregations and belongs to the Kituntu District.

Life at Kituntu

A farmer in Runyaga. (Photo: Jorg Staehler)
The majority of the people in Kituntu-District are farmers. They live from their crops such as bananas, coffee, maize, potatoes, beans or cassava. The district area is divided in fertile uplands like in Kituntu and Runyaga Parish, and poor soil lowlands, like in Kihanga and Rugera Parish. The average income is less than 300 € a year. The literacy rate is above 90% for those who only attended four years of Primary School. In terms of religion there are about 25% Lutheran, 40% Catholic and 35% others such as Muslims.

The Kituntu District has a total of 8,817 members, 4 parishes and 27 congregations. Each parish is led by a pastor and each congregation is led by an evangelist. Between 50 and 600 members belong to a congregation. Besides the pastors, the District Clerk Miss Frida Katabazi cares about the church life in Kituntu.

District Pastor in Kituntu-District
Kituntu Parish with Rev. Anatory Kagaruki consists of the ten congregations Katembe, Kinyinya, Rwambaizi, Kibona, Nyabuziba, Katwe, Kanoni, Igurwa, Nyakahita and Nyakigongo.

Runyaga Parish with Rev. Faustin Buchocho consists of the six congregations Runyaga, Muchuba, Kagutu, Omurulama, Ruhanya and Chanika.

Kihanga Parish with Rev. Emmanuel Iromba consists of the seven congregations Kihanga, Mulamba, Kishojo, Kibwela, Rutunguru, Kyabayanda and Kitengure.

Rugera Parish with Rev. Martin Mutungirehi consists of the three congregations Rugera, Nyarugando and Mwemage.


Activities

  • Regularly visitation of Christians in their families
  • Various Sunday services and burial services
  • Evangelism by visiting those who do not or can not come to Church
  • Establishing and complementing our action plan, for example supporting the financial department by employing a bookkeeper

Projects

Our German partners from Biedenkopf support us in realizing some important projects concerning our environment and the people at Kituntu. On top of that, we are able to realize other projects with our local income.
    Official start of the project in 2010
  • KAKAUMAKI (Kampeini Kabambe ya Utunzaji Mazingira Kituntu). Up to now we have planted 17,500 trees and because of droughts and heals stone remains almost 15,000
  • Supported Student School fees
  • Constructing a pastor’s house at Rugera parish is completed
  • Building and extending church buildings, for example at Kihanga congregation
  • Constructing water tanks to improve the life conditions of the people


Impressions from the inauguration of the new church in Omurulama in the year 2008, together with our friends from Biedenkopf in Germany.

Thanks for the ananas. (Photo: Jorg Staehler)Thanks for the ananas.
Omurulama Choir. (Photo: Jorg Staehler)Omurulama Choir
Christian Rap Group from Kihanga. (Photo: Jorg Staehler)Christian Rap Group from Kihanga, Kituntu-District.
The Bishop inaugurates the church. (Photo: Jorg Staehler)The Bishop inaugurates the church.
All pastors together. (Photo: Jorg Staehler)All pastors did it together.
New Church Inaugurated. (Photo: Jorg Staehler)Omurulama church is inaugurated
Partnership is: We did it together! (Photo: Cornelia Grube)Partnership is: We did it together!
Friends from Biedenkopf (Photo: Jorg Staehler)Celebrating with friends from Biedenkopf



Partnership

The Biedenkopf delegation in Kitungule. (Photo: Jorg Staehler)
The church partnership between the Kituntu District and the Deanery of Biedenkopf (Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau) was started in 1991.The key areas of the partnership are visits, the partnership Sunday, project management, capacity building and ecumenical learning. A steady evaluation of the projects and the exchange is another integral part of the relationship between the two church districts. The partnership website www.biedenkopf-kituntu.de contains all the information on the partnership in German, English and Kiswahili.

A delegation from Kituntu will visit in May/June 2011 the Deanery of Biedenkopf in order to celebrate 20 years of partnership and friendship between Biedenkopf and Kituntu.

Kituntu is part of the diocese's New Life Project. Please click here for further information about the agricultural development project.

Contact

Further information through District Pastor Rev. Anatory Kagaruki by Mobile No +255 754 021 195

Text: Anatory Kagaruki