By MOSES MULONDO

THE Kampala Capital City Authority yesterday ordered the pulling down of billboards erected in different parts of the city announcing May 21, 2011 (tomorrow) as world judgment day.

“May 21, 2011 is judgement day. Blow the trumpet, warn the people,” read one billboard, which had been erected next to Tourist Hotel at Nakasero.

Similar billboards were erected in different parts of the city and other major towns in Uganda.

The other writings on the billboard were “Cry mightily unto GOD for HIS mercy. Family Radio.com 610 AM.”
Simon Muhumuza, the KCC public relations officer, said they had ordered the pulling down of the billboards.

“We do not know who put them up,” he said, adding that it was unnecessary to cause panic among Ugandans.

The campaign is being promoted by Harold Camping, the president of Family Radio, a California-based religious network of 66 owned radio stations across the United States.

Camping has been warning of the end of the world using radio adverts on Family Radio and billboards in different parts of the world.

The pastor predicts that Jesus Christ will come back on May 21 to judge the world and on October 21, the world will end.

It is not the first time Camping is predicting the end of the world. His first prediction was in 1994, but it was unfulfilled.

Camping defended that unfulfilled prediction, saying subsequent biblical information was not yet known.
He, however, said tomorrow, there is no doubt the world is ending.

The Africa Harvest Mission, headed by Evangelist Stephen Sebyala, which owns Family radio in Uganda, distanced itself from the billboards.

“Many people have been asking us about the billboards, but we do not know the people who put them up. We hear they are from Nigeria and they have put up similar billboards across the world,” said Juliet Tibah, the Africa Harvest Mission administrator.

Dr. Pastor Joseph Serwadda, the presiding apostle of the Born Again faith, said the promoters of the campaign were misguided.

“The Bible tells us that no body knows the day Jesus will come back. What is important is for believers to be ready to face judgment by being pure. Some people will even die before May 21 and will be judged,” he said.