NEWS- President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni yesterday March 18th 2025, met and held a meeting with the family of the late Rev Fr Paolino Tomaino of the Comboni Missionaries at State House in Entebbe.
Fr Paolino as he was commonly known was one of the longest serving Comboni Missionary Priest and philanthropist in the Mbarara Archiocese and he died on 3rd March 2024 from Milan in Italy, but his body was flown back to Uganda and was buried on March 14th 2024 at Kyamuhunga Catholic Parish in Bushenyi District.
Fr Paolino was an Italian-born Priest of the congregation of the Comboni Missionaries who arrived in Uganda in 1965 and is remembered for transforming the catholic faith, education and health sectors during his many years of service in Mbarara Archdiocese through setting up projects.
In Kabale Catholic Diocese where Fr Paolino was posted on his arrival as a youth, he is well known to have started Makiro, Buhara, Nyamwegabira, and Kambuga Parishes on top of Bishop Comboni College – Kambuga, San Giovanni School and St Charles Lwanga SSS Zoroma.
He also started St Mary’s SSS Kyamuhunga, Bishop Comboni Hospital, Kyamuhunga Peoples Sacco (KYAPS) Kyeibuza and Lamezia Health Centres, Rushere Catholic Parish among others.
During the meeting, President Museveni said he didn’t know Fr Paolino Tomaino personally, but he knew his good work as a man of God.
By the time of his death, Fr Paolino had been granted the Ugandan citizenship and that is one of the reasons his body was flown back to Uganda for burial and President Museveni narrated that when he told about Fr Paolino Tomaino’s sickness, he decided to support him to get treatment and when he died from Italy, he decided to support his wish of being buried in Uganda.
President Museveni also thanked Fr Paolino Tomaino’s family for supporting the fallen Priest when he was still alive to fulfil duties.
“I want to thank the family of Fr. Paolino first of all for giving him to Africa and then supporting him when he was here because those Churches and schools he was building, he was being supported by his family. And now we thank you for allowing him to be buried here,” President Museveni said.
The President further advised his guests that apart from humanitarian work, they should use their social contacts to encourage Italian businesses and companies to come and invest in Uganda.
“If Italian companies are encouraged by friends to invest here, they will create jobs, enable the government to get more revenue and foreign exchange for the country. So, Italy can play a very big role in the transformation of Africa because Africa has got everything like raw materials and labour, what we need is capital and entrepreneurship,” He emphasized.
President Museveni also pledged to award Fr Paolino Tomaino with a Posthumous medal during this year’s Heroes Day in recognition of his role in transforming Uganda and pledged to complete the construction of a church-aided school known as Sedes Serpientie Kanoni Girls School in Kyamuhunga, Bushenyi District in Fr Poulino Tomaino’s memory.
Fr Paolino Tomaino’s family led by his sister Maria Luisa thanked President Museveni for the support the government of Uganda rendered towards him.
Ms Luisa also informed President Museveni that Fr Paolino Tomaino had his call when he was a Seminarian at 25 years of age when a Priest from Sudan gave them a talk that deeply touched his heart and made a decision to offer his life in Africa for the service of others.
“He arrived in Uganda in 1965 and never looked back. He gave his entire life living for others and trying to uplift their lives. He had a special love for children, the poor and the vulnerable. Because of his integrity and honesty, his work was able to flourish. We thank the Government of Uganda under your leadership and your good government policy that provided a conducive environment that enabled him to do his work,” She said.
She said that Fr Paolino died as an accomplished Priest and servant of God and thank the government of Uganda for having granted him duo-citizenship which he deeply cherished and enabled his work to be easily granted.
