Museveni preaches unity, wealth creation at end-of-year Thanksgiving

WAKISO - President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commended the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda for bringing unity among religious groups in Uganda.

“I'm very happy to see that the Inter-Religious Council is bringing unity among our religious groups. Secondly, even the churches are beginning to get involved in wealth creation, doing exactly what Jesus did when he worked in Joseph's carpentry to produce and support the hungry or the poor. I congratulate you for finally following in Jesus' footsteps. I'm very happy to see that you are moving together,” he said on Friday, December 13th.

According to President Museveni, the Government is ready to work with the Inter-Religious Council to ensure that all Ugandans join the money economy, in order to enable them to fight poverty and create wealth.

The President who was in the company of the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Museveni, made the remarks today during the end-of-year thanksgiving prayers held at State House Entebbe.

According to President Museveni, the Government is ready to work with the Inter-Religious Council to ensure that all Ugandans join the money economy, in order to enable them to fight poverty and create wealth.

“Currently, 67 percent of our people are really in the money economy and those still outside the money economy are 33 percent but even the 67 percent are not fully using the resources well,  they need to be advised but we are moving, that is why Uganda has got a lot of production, a lot of food but we are going to do much more than that,” he explained.

ce President Jessica Alupo

“If we do that, all those problems like jobs will be dealt with through wealth creation.”
At the same events,  President Museveni highlighted some of the government interventions like the Parish Development Model (PDM) that have helped Ugandans to join the money economy.

“In 2013, I involved the army in distributing seedlings. They did a good job and when we checked by 2019 at least 61 percent of the people were in the money economy but still 39 percent were outside the money economy. That's how we introduced this Parish Development Model because Operation Wealth Creation also had its own problems- these soldiers started doing their own things and the people were complaining that they used to share amongst themselves. We said get out, let the people get the money and buy their own inputs, that's how we started the PDM," the President explained according to a release from the Presidential Press Unit.

He further elaborated, "Whereas PDM is moving on well in some areas, I received reports of challenges in areas like Kapchorwa. I think I will have to arrest many people who erroneously took money from the PDM beneficiaries. We are opening a general Inquiry file. You see, it's easy to fight corruption because right now we have communication. I can talk directly with anybody in Uganda through their personal phones, ” he added. 

President Museveni also cautioned religious leaders and Ugandans at large against sectarianism based on religions and tribes, saying it's detrimental to the development of a nation.

“As a student movement in the 1960s, we rejected sectarianism based on religion and tribes because some people were pushing it. We said all these people need us and we need them. That is how the principles of the NRM started. Patriotism-You should love Uganda, why? Because you need it. Pan-Africanism, why? Because you need it too,” he said.

“That's why when the old system broke down, we came forward with our previously distilled principles of Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-economic transformation and democracy. That's how we created the army and the political movement, and we gained the upper hand because we had the factors of strength on our side.”

Dr Joseph Sserwada, the head of Victory Christian Church and presiding Apostle of the Born-Again Faith in Uganda.

He further noted that the country is peaceful because of the NRM government's doctrine of “no discrimination and no sectarianism”.

“Jesus said several times that we shall know them by their fruits not what they say or claim to be. How could you say that you are dividing the people on behalf of God?” he wondered.

On the issue of environmental conservation, the President said if the environment is conserved and people listen to the government's message, disasters like landslides wouldn't be killing people.

“We need to talk to our people to listen to guidelines so that we don't get all these unnecessary problems.”

During the event, various religious leaders prayed for the nation.

The First Lady Maama Janet, thanked God for the peace in Uganda that has enabled the nation to develop without any interruption.

“We say thank you Lord because you are the very source and the originator of peace. We thank you that we have experienced that peace this year, even the years before,” she noted.

“We thank you in a special way Lord, for the visionary leadership of our President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for you have raised him up to be a father of this nation and in the region and even in our continent. Thank you, Lord, for giving him the wisdom, strength and the ability to lead your people into greater peace and prosperity.,” she stated.

The Minister for Presidency, Babirye Milly Babalanda.

The Minister for Presidency, Babirye Milly Babalanda thanked God for preserving President Museveni and giving him the courage to lead Uganda.

“We thank the Almighty for protecting the people of Uganda and our brothers and sisters in the region as well as for the wisdom He continues to extend to us to contribute to the growth and development of our region,” the Minister said.

She also commended President Museveni's leadership.

Dr. Joseph Sserwadda, the Presiding Apostle of the Born-Again Faith said they gathered to give thanks for the healthy lives and for the many success stories that the nation has registered.

“Your Excellency, you are the champion, and we will never stop saying that, we will continue to give thanks for the many things that God has done through you,” he said.

Rt. Rev. Lambert Bainomugisha, the Archbishop of Mbarara Archdiocese preached peace and care for the poor without discrimination.

“The vision of the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda which states ‘a divinely peaceful, United, prosperous Uganda where all people enjoy full health and freedoms for the common good’, falls in line with what the holy scriptures say about promoting justice and living today in peace,” he said.

“For us in Uganda, the poor may include, the elderly, the children, the homeless, those who are sick, the disabled, refugees, prisoners, those who are displaced by environmental disasters, and generally those whom we call the marginalized or vulnerable.”

Dignitaries at the events included the Vice President, Jessica Alupo, the First National Vice Chairman of the NRM, Alhaji Moses Kigongo, Ministers, Members of Parliament, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, and religious leaders.