Gen. Katumba calls for restoration

An artist's impression of the proposed church structure

Former Chief of Defense Forces General Katumba Wamala has urged church leaders to help restore humanity among Ugandans to end rising cases of murder and land grabbing in the country.

Gen. Katumba was speaking as chief guest at the launch of the construction of the Seventh-day Adventist complex in Makerere on Saturday.

Katumba said, "unless we revive humanity among our people, even if we build mansions it will be in vain".

 Gen. Katumba Wamala speaking at the event

He added: "Even animals have better hearts than ours. A lion will not kill unless if it's hungry but today Ugandans kill without any intention of eating their meat."

Katumba also did not have kind words for land grabbers.

"What is the greed for, yet you will be buried on just a few feet of that land from which you are evicting people," Katumba wondered.

To the youth, General Katumba said any talk of entitlement by the young generation won't help unless they worked.

 

"There is no free money, not even in oil-rich countries.  Why do you under look jobs here, leave the country, and end up doing the same or even worse jobs abroad", Katumba wondered as he concluded his remarks.

Katumba's speech was prompted by the Bishop of Central Uganda Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pastor Samuel Kajoba, who called for peace and unity of the church towards God's work.

"There are great men in the Bible like Nehemiah who constructed God's Temple in the shortest time. Be the Nehemiah of this era." The pastor called before congregants returned a special offering for the construction of the church complex.

 
The Adventist Complex
The proposed complex is a sh12b nine-storeyed building that will house two churches (Kampala Central Church-English and Kampala Central Church- Buwanguzi, a Luganda wing)

According to Kampala "A" District head pastor, Godfrey Lubwama, the construction will take about 10 years, saying the money will come from contributions from church members contribution.

 

"The structure will also have other amenities, like a recreation center and other offices, which we hope to complete in 10 years. That's why I call upon our Christians and all well-wishers who may wish to support the work of God to give towards this cause. Let's give not from reserve envelope but from our main incomes to build for God a house that matches His name".

The Adventist Complex will come as a relief to many Seventh-day Adventists who go to both English and vernacular Churches.  The vernacular/Luganda Church holds prayers in a temporary structure wrapped with iron sheets while the English speaking Adventists congregate in a hall provided by Uganda Union of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the supreme body of the faith in the country.