By Gladys Mukisa
If there is any institution that commands respect and influence in Uganda and even other parts of the world, is the Catholic church. However, as we speak all is not well at the Nsambya based Uganda Catholic church media platforms; Radio Sapientia and the Uganda Catholic TV (UCTV).
The employees there are choking on debts, they have spent several months going home without receiving their due monthly wage pay despite the constant work, Blazer News Times can exclusively report.
The dual media platforms are housed in the Uganda Catholic church secretariat premises at Nsambya-Makindye municipality, Kampala city, together with several other multiple church organizations.
It has emerged from some of the economically struggling staff there whose names cannot be mentioned due to the sensitivity of this matter, that some UCTV staff have not been remitted salaries for the last 5 months since October 2025 when they were last paid, while other 7 demand 7 solid good months.
According to the insiders, the Radio Sapientia staff were last paid by the wealthiest church station in Uganda in January 2026, pushing them into a 3 months’ salary starvation setback.
Asking why they have not been paid for all that long, the visibly concerned staff replied to this news Website that, all they are being told by their bosses is that there is no money to pay them.
“Here at the secretariat, all other department receive their pay on 27 every month apart from us in their media department”, one of the employees told Blazer News Times.
To make matters worse, several struggling UCTV employee’s contracts have not been renewed since they expired in December 2025, which has created more panic and fear among them.
“They declined to renew the contracts to keep the staff in fear and prevent them from demanding”.
The furious Catholic church broadcast media employees accused their clerical employers of selfishly catering for their interests alone while minding less about their plight, which defeats any religious logic.
“When they sit in their retreats, allocate juicy salaries to themselves. Now on Monday 30th they will be leaving offices early for Easter holidays”.
It is understood that Radio Sapientia is the cash cow of the church’s broadcast media platform. It has also emerged from insiders that there is in fighting amongst some managing Bishops in both media platforms, which has ended up posing a serious effect on their income generation.
“The radio is working but still there isn’t any payment coming through from that line”.
They claimed that father Rwamarika who is in charge of the Catholic church secretariat finance department is partly to blame for the prevailing crisis since he has not done enough to salvage the situation, despite being cognizant of the same.
“Bishops sat and sanctioned that the TV be bailed out with all necessary money to be able to clear all salary arrears accompanied with the signed documentation but he has declined to release the payment” One of the concerned employees said.
The Uganda Catholic church broadcast media staff concerns gain intensity amid preparations by the institution to unveil its mega annual calendar activity; Commemoration of the Uganda Martyrs, falling in June.
The prevailing crisis at the Nsambya based Catholic media houses has left some media freedom advocating bodies wonder why the leading church institution with a wealthy and deep root of investments in almost every essential sector; banking, health, education, real estates, etc, can reach a point of starving its employees.
To some, if the status quo remains, the longstanding church public reputation, integrity and image is likely to encounter enormous ruins and bruises that might cost it heavily beyond repair.
Efforts by Blazer News Times to seek a comment from the institution’s’ spokesperson father Phillip Odii had not yielded any fruit by the time this report was compiled.
