The minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Major Gen Kahinda Otafiire has said that Jesus left only one Church under St. Peter however, through Constitutional changes, different religions and bishops emerged.
It is upon this background that the 66-year-old told leaders from Fort Portal municipality and Kabarole district on Monday in Fort Portal town that amendments in society are inevitable.
“Since there is change in religion, the same should apply in politics,” he purported, criticizing fellow NRM legislatures who are against the amendment of the Constitution to remove the presidential age limits currently capped at 75.
“Jesus left only one church under St Peter but there are four bishops in Kabarole. If they had not changed the constitution of the church, how would the different denominations have arisen…So like there’s time for change in religion there is also time for second thoughts in politics,” Otafiire added.
The Justice ministry was responding to remarks by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Portal, Dr Robert Mihoorwa Akiiki who recently likened changing the constitution of Uganda to blasphemy.
Dr Robert made headlines this week when he castigated legislatures for seeking to change the constitution they swore an oath to defend. This was during a Sunday mass from Mbarara Archdiocese on their annual pilgrimage to the Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo.
“The leaders of this country must not joke with the Bible… The word of God must not be played with… When politicians are taking up office, they pronounce their oath with a bible in their right hand and, swear to defend the Constitution,” he reportedly stated, urging them not to change it to “please the wishes of another person”.
