President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has reiterated his call for the faithful to participate in income generating projects as they seek spiritual nourishments from places of worship.
He made the call during the reinstallation of Bishop Pr Godfrey Lubwama as Mityana Seventh-Day Adventist Church President for West Buganda Field in Kiyudaya, Busimbi Division, Mityana Municipality in Mityana District.
“All believers should take the example of Jesus who besides feeding the hungry, preaching and healing the sick was also a carpenter,” President Museveni said.
The President’s message was conveyed by the 2nd Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Crispus Kiyonga who officiated at the function as Chief Guest. Lands minister and Mityana District Woman MP Hon Judith Nabakooba also graced the consecration ceremony.
The President said his poverty alleviation efforts should be joined by all religious leaders by rallying their believers to choose at least one enterprise project to venture in.
“Poverty among believers should be viewed as an affliction that must be cursed out of the homes,” he said, pointing at subsistence farming as the virus spreading poverty.
Subsistence farming involves growing crops for home consumption only, which the state head says, is very dangerous, noting that all goods and services needed to sustain life must be bought by money.
He called upon religious leaders to encourage the faithful to select profitable enterprises in commercial agriculture, industries, services and ICT.
Additionally, the President congratulated Bishop Lubwama on his installation for the second term, encouraging him to serve the people of God wholeheartedly.
“I pray that the almighty God grants you the wisdom and courage to serve God’s people with vision, integrity, and humility. I believe that the God who chose you to carry the responsibility of shepherding his Church at this particular time has prepared you to fulfill your mandate,” he prayed.
The president also commended the SDA church for maintaining a cordial relationship and partnership with the NRM government in working towards the social economic transformation of the government of Uganda.
Through the establishment of several social services including institutions of learning and health facilities, the President said they are on course with the government’s mission.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment of ensuring peace and security, construction of the necessary economic and social infrastructure as a way of facilitating and attracting local and foreign investment to create jobs and incomes for Ugandans.
Mityana District Woman legislator who is also the Minister of Lands Housing and Urban Development , Judith Nabakooba , told the congregation that they were instructed as leaders to go back to their respective constituencies and mobilize communities about government programmes like the Parish Development Model (PDM).
She cautioned leaders against corruption as they give out PDM money to beneficiaries, noting that in the previous term, she received several complaints that people who requested for the money never got it in its entirity as some were getting Shs800,000.
“The President was very clear as he launched “term no sleep” Let all local leaders work with us to ensure that this term all the people get money and we also fight the vice of corruption.”
The installation ceremony was led by the Archbishop of the SDA Church of Uganda Pr Samuel Kajoba. In his sermon, he said President Museveni’s leadership of this new term is grounded in the Bible.
He said Kisanja no sleep is translated into God’s guidance in the Bible when He ordered that a man shall work all the days and rest of the sixth day of Sabbath.
The Archbishop added that the term no corruption campaign launched by the President resonates with what they teach in Sabbath schools.
He urged the new leadership led by Bishop Lubwama to ensure they work as a team and avail themselves to the believers anytime.
“Church needs cultural leaders who are approachable. God’s desire was a radiant Church without stain.”
Pr Lubwama revealed that they have three ongoing projects including a hospital at Kigalama, the main Church under construction, and a heritage centre at Kalamba, calling for President’s financial support to complete them.
He was handed a package of Shs20 million from the President to help him as he officially begins his second term.
Mityana District chairperson Joseph Luzige thanked minister Nabakooba for pushing for the approval of their development plan that has seen the district receive Shs38 billion for infrastructure development.
He asked the President to elevate Mityana Hospital to a mini referral to accommodate a large number of patients registered.
He also noted that their X-ray is of an old model and once it gets faulty, they cannot get its spare parts. Other requests included establishing an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and acquiring for them an ambulance.
