Followers of Jesus Christ around the world celebrated Christmas, in Uganda, religious leaders reflected on a turbulent year, called for security vigilance in the wake of rising crime wave, and spoke of the need for calm ahead of the 2021 General Election.
Kampala
Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga led mass at Rubaga Cathedral, where he demanded
for proper electoral reforms to ensure smooth elections come to February 2021.
Archbishop
Lwanga told Christians that, as the political environment gets charged,
government must ensure that all electoral reforms are made to dispel all the
fears that the election will be characterized by violence.
“There is a lot of fear among people ahead of 2021 General Election, and as
religious leaders, we call upon government for a peaceful election by making
all the necessary electoral reforms,” Lwanga said.
Archbishop Lwanga also decried widespread corruption and land grabbing said its government’s role to prosecute the culprits, saying it was the only way they can be mitigated.
“The birth
of Christ brought us peace hence we must use this as an opportunity to be
peacemakers. In celebrating his birth, we need to renew our faith in him. It
is, therefore, time for personal renewal,” Lwanga said.
While in the
city center, Christ the King Church in Kampala, the parish priest, Msgr. Gerald
Kalumba, asked Ugandans to desist from blaming the church for being silent on
bad governance because it is them who vote for the leaders.
“Sometimes people come up and start blaming church leaders for being quiet. Are
we the ones who vote those leaders into power? It should be you people to make
noise if you are not satisfied and not the church leaders. You go and make
noise if you want,” Msgr Kalumba said.
From the born-again community’s Victory Church, Ndeeba, the presiding Apostle, Pastor Joseph Sserwadda, asked political leaders to be tolerant as the country prepares for elections.
Pastor
Sserwadda called for calm and asked politicians to ensure that they keep peace
during campaigns and after elections.
“Let elections be a blessing and not a curse to our nation, bloodshed and
fighting should not happen because of political issues; nobody should be
harassed,’’ he said.
At
St Paul’s Cathedral, Namirembe, Bishop Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira castigated
the rampant murders, theft of public funds, impunity and environment
destruction that has led to disasters in the country.
“In some areas, people are killed and the motive is not known, and this is
threatening and troubling us. Domestic violence is on the increase resulting
from poverty, lack of respect, dishonesty and diseases,” Bishop Luwalira said
as he appealed to Ugandans to emulate Jesus on forgiveness, reconciliation and
peaceful co-existance.
“Can
we be happy if part of the money collected in church today was stolen? Were the
houses we are staying in constructed from stolen money, or grabbed land? All
these have caused suffering in our country,” he added.
