Economic empowerment, spiritual growth should go hand in hand, Museveni tells clerics
The President has urged religious leaders across the country to actively mobilise their congregations in the struggle for wealth creation as part of Uganda’s wider economic transformation agenda.
President Yoweri Museveni in a group photo with a delegation of Born-Again leaders led by Bishop Dr Moses Odongo, the General Overseer of the National Fellowship of Born-Again Pentecostal Churches in Uganda (NFBPC), at State House, Entebbe. (PPU photos)
________________
Economic empowerment and spiritual growth should go hand in hand, President Yoweri Museveni, has said.
According to him, faith-based leaders are strategically placed to guide Ugandans on practical ways of lifting themselves out of poverty.
Therefore, the President has urged religious leaders across the country to actively mobilise their congregations in the struggle for wealth creation as part of Uganda’s wider economic transformation agenda.
“If you have two acres, and you put one acre under cassava for food, you remain with only one acre for money. If you choose the wrong enterprise, you never get out of poverty,” Museveni said.
He drew on Uganda’s experience with low-value crops such as cotton, which he said could not sustain families.
“At that time, farmers harvested about 200kg of cotton an acre, selling at shillings 200. That meant shillings 40,000 a year. How can a family survive on that? That is why I recommended foods, because foods can actually make a lot of money, even up to 30 million shillings an acre,” he said.
The President reiterated his long-held view that Uganda’s prosperity lies in the correct use of land and enterprise selection, citing examples of high-value crops like coffee and fruits.
NRM principles are related to Christianity
“The NRM is like a church because we came with non-sectarianism, no revenge; these are Jesus’s teachings. Traditionally, Africans believed in revenge, in blood settlement. But we came with forgiveness and unity. That is why I said if my people are not truly Christians, let me start my own church, combining earthly issues with spiritual transformation. That is how NRM was founded,” President Museveni said.
Odongo welcomed the President’s message, pledging that the fellowship of Born-Again churches would stand firmly with the Government in mobilising Christians for wealth creation.
“We will continue to help Christians interpret your dream of wealth creation, asking ourselves: how do we get money in our pockets and communities? That is where our churches are located. For instance, we have already started the coffee project as a way of mobilising our people,” Bishop Odongo said.
He added that through the Church’s influence, entire communities, not just Christians, could be reached with programmes like coffee planting and other agribusiness ventures.
The Government is ready
President Museveni assured the delegation that the government was ready to support such initiatives, including providing free seedlings.
“We can help you to develop seed beds, to give free seedlings to your Christians, and when you mobilise from the Church, you can also target the whole community,” the President said, noting that the high cost of seedlings from private suppliers had created barriers for ordinary Ugandans.
“Seedlings were once at 400 shillings, but now I hear they are at 2000 shillings. That is why we must go back to government channels, directly or through institutions, to ensure free seedlings for our people. We can start with coffee, then move to fruits, which I introduced in Soroti,” President Museveni explained.
Fellowship plans
Odongo also briefed the President on the fellowship’s plans to establish a permanent headquarters in Kasangati on six acres of land. The facility, he said, would include a training school for pastors with a structured curriculum.
“If you feel God is calling you, come and study. Come and know how to do it like a doctor or a driver; you must study first. We want to set up a place where our leaders can be equipped with knowledge and skills to serve effectively,” Bishop Odongo said, appealing for government support in the project.
He further commended President Museveni and First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni for preserving religious freedom in Uganda.
“We have had an environment where we worship God freely. From our neighbours, we are highly regarded because of you and your family’s love for God and service to Him. Your efforts for wealth creation are amazing, and we are following that example,” Bishop Odongo said.
The President welcomed Bishop Odongo’s efforts to unite the Balokole across denominations, saying such unity was crucial for both spiritual and socio-economic transformation.
He reiterated that religion should not be divorced from practical efforts to improve livelihoods.