Robert Kayanja

Robert Kayanja
Born Masooli, Gayaza
Occupation Pastor, author, speaker
Spouse(s) Jessica Kayanja
Children One son, two daughters
Website www.kayanja.org

Robert Kayanja is the founder and Senior Pastor of the Miracle Centre Cathedral, a megachurch in Kampala Founder and CEO of a christian televison Channel 44 Television (Miracle Ltd).[1]

Ministry and theology

Robert Kayanja started the Miracle Centre as a papyrus reed structure, together with a few other young ministers. Today it is among the region's largest church buildings, accommodating over 10,000 people. He is also overseer of the Miracle Bible College, the Never Again Children's project and the Kapeeka orphanage. He is the Director of Miracle Television and a frequent speaker on Daystar Television Network.[2] The church has also founded over 1,000 Miracle Centre Churches across the country.[3]

Kayanja encourages his congregation to achieve wealth and serve their personal goals.[4][5]

He is the chairman of AfriAid.[6]

Awards

Robert Kayanja won the Worldsavers Man of The Year Award in 2014.[7]

Kayanja also won the VIGA Merit Award. The VIGA Awards are Uganda's National Interdenominational gospel awards, through which the gospel Music industry recognizes and rewards its peers for their musical accomplishments.[8]

Philanthropy

President Yoweri Museveni paid tribute to Pastor Robert Kayanja and General Salim Saleh for spearheading food aid to South Sudan.

“I congratulate the congregation and General Saleh for having the noble idea of helping our brothers and sisters in South Sudan who are in need,” he said. He observed that they have made the aid in line with the teachings in the Bible that require man to love his neighbor as he loves himself. He said that they were making the right move in standing by our brothers in South Sudan.[9]

Senior Presidential advisor on military affairs Gen. Salim Saleh and Kampala businessmen under their body umbrella Afri- Aid have raised sh300m to buy food for people in war ravaged South Sudan.[10] Saleh explained that before the fundraising drive for the people of South Sudan, Kampala business woman Esther Mpumuza approached him and advised that there was need to pray for the people of South Sudan and also mobilize financial support for them.

The Chairman Afri-Aid Pastor Robert Kayanja said; “This is the time for Africans to bring whatever you have so that we can support our people who are living a bad life in South Sudan. As the chairman Afri-aid I have to make sure Ugandans raise sh2b to buy food for the people in South Sudan.[10]

Affiliates, Ministers and hosted Ministers

Robert Kayanja has hosted many local and international preachers and musicians. These include Benny Hinn Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyer, Don Moen,Dr Mike Murdock Yahel Vilan Israel Ambassador to Uganda President Salva Kiir Mayardit Mathew Crouch Sinach President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni

Books and Publications

Criticism and controversy

On 31 December 2005, Kayanja prophesied that one of the presidential election candidates would die.[11] MPs expressed concern,[12] but this did not happen before the election.

In 2006 he was criticised for amassing wealth and building a palace at Gaba, a suburb of Kampala on the shore of Lake Victoria. Kayanja told critics to mind their own business, saying that the grand house was a marriage gift to his wife.[13]

In 2009, a scandal erupted when Kayanja was accused of sexually abusing two teenage male church members.[1] Other pastors had assisted the teenagers in filing their complaints, which were later withdrawn. Kayanja's supporters accused rivals of seeking to damage his reputation ahead of a visit by American preacher Benny Hinn to the Miracle Centre Cathedral.[1] The police later cleared Kayanja of sodomy.[14] They also cleared his accusers of charges of conspiracy to damage his reputation.[15] However, in October 2012 Buganda Road Court fined six people, including pastor Martin Ssempa, 1 million shillings (about $390 US) each and ordered them to do 100 hours of community service, after convicting them of conspiring to destroy Pastor Robert Kayanja's name and profession.[16]

Personal and family life

Robert Kayanja resides in Kampala with his wife Jessica Kayanja , Son Robert Kayanja Jr and twin daughters Kirstein and Kristiana. Kristiana survived brain cancer in 2004.[17] Pastor Kayanja is the younger brother of the current Anglican Archbishop of York, John Sentamu,[4] and of David Makumbi, a bishop in a Ugandan church.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Uganda embroiled in church sex scandal, AFP, 21 May 2009. Archived 24 January 2011 at WebCite
  2. ↑ Pastor Robert Kayanja on his official website
  3. ↑ 'Reign of Terror' Reversed in Uganda, Charisma magazine, Nov 2002.
  4. 1 2 John Lloyd, "The riches of heaven", Financial Times Weekend magazine, 25 October 2008.
  5. ↑ SENTAMU gave me my first pair of shoes – Kayanja, New Vision.
  6. ↑ Uganda launches food aid initiative to South Sudan, New Vision, 11 December 2014
  7. ↑ World Savers Excellence Awards 2014
  8. ↑ http://www.ugandaonline.net/viga
  9. ↑ http://www.statehouse.go.ug/media/news/2014/12/17/president-commends-afric-aid-food-donation-south-sudan
  10. 1 2 http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/662767-uganda-launches-food-aid-initiative-to-south-sudan.html
  11. ↑ One presidential candidate to die – Pastor Kayanja prophesies, New Vision, 2 January 2006.
  12. ↑ MPs want govt to act on Kayanja over prophecy, New Vision, 7 January 2006.
  13. ↑ Mind your business, Kayanja says, New Vision, 10 September 2006.
  14. ↑ Kayanja Survives Sodomy Charges, New Vision, 25 September 2009. Archived 24 January 2011 at WebCite
  15. ↑ Court Acquits City Pastors in Kayanja Sodomy Case, The Monitor, 26 January 2011. Retrieved at allafrica.com, 3 July 2011.
  16. ↑ Pastor Kayanja sodomy accusers convicted, New Vision, 3 October 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  17. ↑ Kayanja's Daughter Survives Brain Cancer, New Vision, 14 January 2004
  18. ↑ Ugandan made Archbishop, New Vision, 18 June 2005. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
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