President Yoweri Museveni and the First Lady Janet Museveni on 29 August, 2020 hosted the National Prayers for COVID-19 at State House Entebbe.
In his speech, the Head of State said he was glad religious leaders agree with him on the subject of humans taking dominion of the earth as instructed by God.
Museveni called for full adherence to guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country. “The Bible actually supports some of the SOPs we are emphasising. Numbers 5 verses 1-3 talks of isolation and social distancing. Luke 17:1-11 shows the same. The lepers stood at a distance from Jesus,” he said.
“There’s no doubt that God punishes people once they get out of the way. This problem of COVID 19 came from eating bats. Ebola came from eating monkeys. The issue of what to eat must be addressed. People should never have eaten bats or monkeys,” he said.
President Museveni said the national Covid-19 taskforce will meet on Tuesday “to see what to do” with the schools, churches, bars, among other institutions, that are still under lockdown. “But people should be the custodians of their own health,” he emphasized.
Mr Museveni said the idea of hosting special prayers for the 3rd time in less than five (5) months was brought up by Bishop Patrick Kwefuga of Kiruhura, and “I agreed to it. I thank him,” he said.
Bishop Joshua Lwere, leader of the National Fellowship of Born- Again Pentecostal Churches (NFBPC) preached during the televised prayers.
He urged that nations are going through the Covid-19 storm but, “it does not mean that God is quiet,” he said.
He went on: “It is then that God looks at our hearts to know if our trust is in the horses and our abilities – or if we can put Him as number one.”
“In Mark 4, during the storm, the disciples cried out “don’t you care that we are perishing?” He was aware, and wanted to demonstrate His power though that storm. And from that day, the bible says, their understanding of Him changed. Through these situations that come, God shakes us – He allows the shaking of what we have put our trust in . Through this storm, people learn to trust God more than before,” he said.
“We can have a strategic direction in the midst of the storm… God is taking us somewhere. The storm is not going to stop Him. But as a nation, we must be able to go strategically: We need to have the ears to hear what He is telling us to do, so that we can take the advantage, even when the enemy is working. God works despite the work of the enemy. And it is important that during the storm you do not focus on the negatives. If you focus on the negatives, you will come out bitter instead of being better,” he said.
On the other hand, Dr Joseph Serwadda, the Presiding Apostle of the Born-Again Faith in Uganda (BAF), used the occasion to re-echoed the need for government to reopen church buildings which have been under lockdown for over 5 months now.
He explained that BAF has reached out to over 18,000 pastors in a bid to sensitive them on safe resumption of congressional worship amid COVID-19. “We have reports that all places of worship can now ably manage to conduct services during Covid and beyond,” Dr Serwadda told the President.
“By all indications, there is life out there now, nothing to fear at all. God is still on our side, and if He is, who can be against us,” he added.
Uganda’s confirmed coronavirus cases stood at 2,847 on 29 August, 2020 with one death bringing the total of fatalities to 29.
Those who have recovered are 1,288, according to the Health ministry.
‘It is because of the Lord’s mercy that we are not consumed,’ the First Lady quoted Lamentations 3:22, as she prayed.
All Photos are courtesy of the Presidential Press Unit
