Environmentalists contribute towards papal walk

By Betty Amamukirori

Members of the Climate Action Network Uganda have registered for the Papal Walk this Saturday.

The Executive Director, Ecological Christian Organization (ECO), Isaac Kabongo, handed over a sh2m cheque for 200 Papal Walk tickets to Vision Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Robert Kabushega at the new vision offices. He said he was doing so on behalf of Climate Action Network Uganda.

"We are privileged to be part of this historical walk that has given us the opportunity to express our love for the pope and the church," he said.

Climate Action Network Uganda is a network of Non State Organizations (NGOs) working on climate change.

They advocate for policies that aim at conserving and preserving Uganda's natural resources like forests, extractives and water bodies.

Kabongo said that they will use this charity walk as an opportunity to reach out to the people and share information on climate change and the relevance of conserving the ecology.

"We want to show our commitment to the pope's call in his encyclical that responds to the challenge of climate change. Uganda, being in the sub-Saharan Africa, is affected so much by climate change," he said.

An encyclical is a papal letter sent to all Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church.

This year in June 18, Pope Francis issued his second encyclical titled Laudato Si' (Latin word to mean Praise Be to you), calling upon governments, religions, businesses and individuals to work together to address climate change issues which are majorly human invented.

Kabushega, in his appreciation remarks lauded the work the environmentalists are doing and asked them to use the walk as a platform to educate Ugandans about climate change.

"The issue of climate change is affecting all human beings in our part of the world. These erratic weather patterns are affecting food production because the rain is not coming when we expect it and it comes when we least expect it," Kabushega noted.