Phaneroo Ministries International, one of Uganda’s leading evangelical movements, has issued a public statement addressing what it describes as “misleading claims and defamation attacks” targeting the ministry’s operations and financial transactions.
The statement, released on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, follows heightened public scrutiny after revelations that the ministry had secured loans amounting to Shs18.5 billion and unveiled plans for a $55 million (approximately Shs200 billion) church complex.
Founded by Apostle Grace Lubega, Phaneroo was registered as a company limited by guarantee on September 16, 2014.
This legal structure, commonly used by non-governmental organisations, limits liability for members and does not require share capital, but rather a pledge of financial support in case the company is wound up.
Initially, Apostle Lubega was listed as the sole director. However, records from the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) show that in 2023, he added his wife, Lubega Nicollette Pauline Nakintu, whom he married in 2019 and Okwomi Modesta, a Kenyan national, as members of the company.
Public interest in Phaneroo’s affairs has intensified following revelations that the ministry borrowed Shs10 billion from Equity Bank in August 2024, followed by an additional Shs8.5 billion in October of the same year.
These loans were reportedly secured using four plots of land in the upscale Naguru area and one along the Katale–Kampala road.
The ministry’s land holdings have come under scrutiny as some of the Naguru properties are subject to ownership disputes, further fuelling speculation about the nature and purpose of the large-scale borrowing.
To date, Phaneroo has not publicly disclosed the intended use of the borrowed funds.
In response, the ministry said the URSB records being cited in the media were “not new” and are “fully known to our members.”
It maintained that the organisation remains registered as a national non-governmental organisation and operates in compliance with all relevant Ugandan laws.
The statement clarified that, contrary to circulating claims, Phaneroo has “no shareholders in the conventional sense,” and its governance model reflects a faith-based, non-profit mission.
“We urge our members and followers to remain steadfast and focused on our calling to preach the Gospel and transform lives. Our growth as a ministry is a testimony to God’s grace and not a cause for suspicion,” the statement read in part.
The ministry also alleged recent cyberattacks, including attempts to compromise its official email systems.
It linked these incidents to what it described as a broader, coordinated campaign to discredit its work and leadership.
