By Our Reporters
KAMPALA – A protracted property dispute involving Christian Family Helpers Limited, a charitable organization that has served vulnerable children and disadvantaged families for decades, is raising concerns over the future of its humanitarian projects and the welfare of hundreds of beneficiaries who depend on its services.
At the centre of the dispute is Kampala Evangelical Free Church in Kisugu-Muyenga, one of several properties owned by Christian Family Helpers Limited. The church, officially inaugurated on March 6, 2010, has become the focal point of a legal battle that has been before the courts since 2016.
According to church leaders and directors of the organization, some family members of the late Mrs. Hellen Darlia Wamala Nanfuka, the wife of the late Rev. Dr. Wamala Atwooki, founder of Christian Family Helpers Limited, are seeking control of properties registered under the charitable organization. Those allegations have not been determined by the courts, and the ownership dispute remains the subject of ongoing legal proceedings.
The prolonged court battle has generated anxiety among church members, staff and beneficiaries of the organization’s programmes, many of whom fear the dispute could disrupt services that have transformed lives for decades.
Christian Family Helpers Limited has built its reputation around providing support to vulnerable children and disadvantaged families through education, child care, spiritual nurturing and community development programmes. Over the years, the organization has invested in a number of properties intended to guarantee the sustainability of its charitable work long after the lives of its founders.
During a recent church service, the Lead Pastor of Kampala Evangelical Free Church, Pastor Fred Lameck Kimera, appealed for calm among all parties involved in the dispute.
Pastor Kimera urged the complainants, led by Henry Lucky Kalule, Charles Lwanga and Lilian Kagimu, identified as the heir to the estate of the late Hellen Darlia Wamala Nanfuka, to refrain from taking any forceful action while the matter remains before the courts.
Instead, he appealed to them to embrace reconciliation and work together to preserve the legacy established by the organization’s founders.
“We ask all parties to respect the judicial process and allow the courts to determine the matter according to the law,” Pastor Kimera said.
He further appealed to government authorities and relevant institutions to safeguard the organization’s properties from any actions that could negatively affect the vulnerable children, families and communities currently benefiting from its programmes.
Church leaders say Christian Family Helpers Limited was founded with a clear vision of extending hope to vulnerable members of society through education, shelter, spiritual guidance and social support. They argue that the organization’s properties were deliberately registered under the charity to ensure continuity of its mission beyond the lifetime of its founders.
Ignatius Miwanda, one of the directors of Christian Family Helpers Limited, said the contested properties were legally acquired and registered in the name of the organization and were intended to serve the public through charitable activities rather than private ownership.
“The founders intentionally entrusted these properties to Christian Family Helpers Limited so that support for vulnerable children and disadvantaged families would continue for generations,” Miwanda said.
He noted that the properties constitute the backbone of the organization’s operations and provide the financial and institutional foundation upon which its humanitarian programmes depend.
Among the properties at the centre of the dispute are St. Barnabas Primary School in Muyenga, Kampala Evangelical Free Church in Kisugu-Muyenga, Canaan Children’s Home in Kisugu, and a vacant piece of land located near Kampala International Hospital.
According to the organization’s directors, these assets support programmes that provide education, accommodation, spiritual care and other essential services to vulnerable children and disadvantaged families.
Miwanda also appealed to the Senior Presidential Assistant on Special Duties and head of the Presidential Task Force on Land Matters at State House, Phionah Barungi, to intervene and help ensure that the organization’s charitable assets are protected while the legal process continues.
The dispute has remained before the courts for nearly a decade without a final determination.
As legal proceedings continue, uncertainty continues to hang over the future of Christian Family Helpers Limited and the institutions operating under its umbrella.
Church leaders say they remain hopeful that the courts will ultimately deliver a judgment that preserves the vision of the founders while safeguarding the organization’s ability to continue serving vulnerable communities.
For hundreds of children, families, worshippers, employees and volunteers associated with Christian Family Helpers Limited, the outcome of the case carries significant implications. They say the continuation of educational, humanitarian and spiritual programmes depends on the preservation of the organization’s assets and the peaceful resolution of the dispute.
The ownership and management of the contested properties remain matters before the courts. No final judicial determination has yet been made, and the allegations by the respective parties remain subject to the ongoing legal process.