Archbishop Lwanga pleads for peace

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION 

Presiding over the Christmas Mass at Lubaga Cathedral (on Christmas Day), the Catholic Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kampala, Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga called upon Christians and all Ugandans to be champions of peace.

He expressed concern over the violent nature of the ongoing political campaigns and called upon all the stakeholders in the electoral process to act with fairness, goodwill and respect, in order to keep the country's peace and unity.

"Our national constitution has in it very beautiful articles, which can help us to live in peace and harmony if we practice them. Article 29, for example, highlights the right of citizens to assemble and to demonstrate peacefully. Article 20 talks about our fundamental rights as citizens. Articles 21 and 22 treat discrimination and unjust treatment."

Lwanga said the birth of Christ brought joy and peace in the world, which is why Christmas should be a moment for all Ugandans to renew their commitment to peace, love, and justice.

"Jesus summed up the ten commandments into one greatest commandment, that is, love of God and love of neighbour. We are obliged to love our brethren as we love ourselves. So, before you do anything to another person first ask yourself whether you would like the same thing to be done to you."

Lwanga condemned vices such as tribalism, corruption, domestic violence, barbarianism, brutality, oppression, repression, exploitation, and murder.

He subsequently asked Christians to have a renewed commitment to the Biblical and Constitutional principles.

Prelate Complains

In his latter remarks, Lwanga complained about social media critics, who he said spent the entire Christmas Eve attacking him over his proposal to postpone the elections for three years.

The Prelate said his critics were attacking him unjustly because the views he highlighted were not personal views, but were views of all the three leaders of the main-stream Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox Christian denominations under their umbrella organisation, the Uganda Joint Christian Council.

"I chair the Uganda Joint Christian Council together with Archbishop Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu of the Church of Uganda and Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga of the Orthodox Church, who are both co-chairs. We did not issue a decree. We just gave our proposal to the legislators for deliberation. We came up with the proposal after scrutinizing the current state of affairs. The election campaigns are marred by violence and actually, dozens of our people have been killed! We also hear of some people threatening others with violence!  Police brutality and teargas has also become the order of the day. We are also having the serious health challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic. These are the issues we looked at critically and subsequently thought we needed some time to put things right before continuing with the elections.

"We didn't issue a decree. We just floated the idea to the legislators for the debate. We also came up with this proposal in good faith, for the good of all Ugandans and Uganda. We did not mean to favor anybody. But now some people say I was bribed. Can those who make that allegation against me produce evidence? Let us be truthful in what we say and do. Irregularities are real. Even in the NRM primaries, there was unprecedented violence!"

Lwanga later appealed to politicians to stop sowing seeds of hatred.  As a means to promote peaceful and progressive political campaigns, Lwanga proposed that the aspiring political candidates be paraded together in a debate and be tasked to explain the respective strategies and programmes they intend to implement in regard to the country's socio-economic and political challenges.

 "Each one should tell us what they intend to do to solve our pressing problems, such as poverty, corruption, unemployment, health issues, tribalism, violence, murder, sectarianism, land-grabbing, etc."

The state minister for higher education, Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo commended Archbishop Lwanga for his visionary leadership and also his passionate crusade for peace and development.

Like Lwanga, Muyingo also asked Ugandans not to disrupt the country's peace, which he said had been bought with the blood of many Ugandans who were killed during the bush-war of the 80s, in Luweero.

He encouraged Ugandans to exercise their constitutional right to vote, adding that the government would keep peace during and after the elections, regardless of who the winner will be.

Muyingo appealed to Ugandans to follow strictly the Covid-19 preventive guidelines.

He asked parents not to lose hope because the government was doing everything possible to ensure that schools reopen next year.

Among the dignitaries who graced the function was the LC5 Chairman of Wakiso, Matia Lwanga Bwanika, the former President General of DP, Dr Paul Kawanga Ssemwogerere and his wife Germina Ssemwogerere, and several area politicians.