Pastor Bugingo (back L) with wife Makula (Back R) and his late father (Front R) and mother during their recent visit to Uganda
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Pastor Aloysius Bugingo, the founder and senior pastor of House of Prayer Ministries International (HPMI), is mourning the death of his father, Mzee Aloyzi Bujjingo, who passed away on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at the reported age of 108.
The death was announced by Salt TV, a television station under Salt Media Group, which is associated with the pastor’s ministry. The announcement said the elderly man, who was born in 1918, had died at the advanced age of 108.
“Pastor Aloysious Bujjingo’s Father has gone to be with the Lord,” the station announced.
The announcement did not disclose the exact cause or place of death, while details of the burial arrangements had not been made public by the time of reporting.
Mzee Bujjingo reportedly breathed his last at approximately 4pm, bringing to an end a life that spanned more than a century and included years spent living in Rwanda before his son rose to prominence as one of Uganda’s well-known religious leaders and media personalities.
Although the family had not released further details about his final days, the news marked a personal loss for the pastor, whose childhood experiences and family background have featured in his public testimonies.
Bugingo introduced parents to worshippers in 2019
Bugingo publicly introduced his father and mother to his congregation in October 2019 during an Independence prayer night held at Namboole Stadium.
At the event, the pastor revealed that his parents had been living in Rwanda, where they had returned after leaving him in the care of relatives in Uganda.
His father told the congregation that Bugingo was born in Masaka and remained behind with relatives when his parents returned to Rwanda.
The public introduction offered worshippers a glimpse into the family background of a pastor whose journey from a difficult childhood to establishing a major ministry and media operation has been a recurring feature of his personal testimony.
Bugingo has previously spoken about growing up in poverty, suffering frequent childhood illnesses and experiencing disruptions to his education.
Much of his upbringing was handled by his maternal grandparents and other relatives, with his grandmother reportedly taking care of him during periods of illness.
He has also recounted experiences of mistreatment and child labour while living with relatives, circumstances he says contributed to his decision to leave for Kampala before completing school.
Religious prominence attained
Bugingo’s journey to Kampala marked the beginning of a series of struggles that preceded his rise in ministry and broadcasting.
According to accounts he has shared publicly, he arrived in the capital without transport money and secured a lift on a truck carrying matooke by offering to help unload the produce upon reaching its destination.
After arriving in Kampala, he was connected by friends to businessman Godfrey Ssentongo, who employed him as a houseboy.
Bugingo later ventured into selling popcorn at Owino Market, saving money towards establishing his own small business.
His experiences during those early years have formed part of the story he tells about overcoming poverty and hardship before becoming a pastor and media entrepreneur.
He subsequently established House of Prayer Ministries International, which operates from Canaan Land in Makerere Kikoni, Kampala.
The ministry has grown into a religious institution associated with worship services, prayer gatherings and public preaching.
Bugingo also established Salt FM and Salt TV, expanding his influence into Uganda’s broadcasting sector.
Through the church and media platforms, he has built a public profile that extends beyond the pulpit, making him a prominent figure in the country’s religious and media landscape.
Family loss after a century of life
The death of Mzee Bujjingo closes a chapter in the family history of a pastor whose early life was shaped by separation from his parents and the care of extended family members.
His reported age of 108 means he lived through more than a century of social, political and economic changes in Uganda and the wider region.
For Bugingo, whose public accounts have often reflected on the difficulties of his childhood, the loss also brings renewed attention to the family circumstances that shaped his formative years.
However, the family and Salt Media had not provided further information about the circumstances surrounding the death or the arrangements for laying the deceased to rest.
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