In order to restore trade order, traffic order and development control in the city, Kampala Capital City Authority has said that it will without further warning start to arrest and prosecute in the Courts of Law among others Christians found preaching the gospel on the streets.
Through a public notice dated April 19, the legal entity, established by the Ugandan Parliament to handle operations of the capital Kampala, said it has noted “the increasing cases of unapproved activities such as street trading, street preaching, pasting of posters/banners and mobile advertising screens/loudspeakers among other things which contravene the Local Governments.”
“(Kampala City Council) maintenance of law and order, 2006. Without further warning, KCCA will start to arrest and prosecute in the Courts of Law among others Street Preachers, unapproved mobile advertising screens/loudspeakers and individuals caught pasting unapproved posters/banners. This is to ask the general public to desist from any such unapproved practices. ” The notice read.
In reference to a 3rd October 2012 meeting at Parliament, lawmakers called for a ban on street preaching claiming that preachers abuse other religions. Although a consensus was not reached, they said preachers abusing other faith denominations spark religious hatred in the country.
In February this year, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) called among others things street preaching illegitimate, ordering all outdoor community broadcasters who use ‘bizindaalo’ erected on trees, placed along pathways or poles, so as to broadcast messages in localized areas to cease operations.
The Commission said operation of such mediums is a public nuisance and an infringement on the rights of citizens to peace and quiet in the City.
Open-air preaching and street evangelism has never been popular either inside or outside the church like it is in Uganda today.
Although it is one of the most challenging evangelistic approaches where one stands or walks in crowded areas for the purpose of explaining the gospel to strangers, many are not intimidated by it.
Pentecostal pastors have not welcomed this policy urging that it is “uncalled for”.
“To what they are saying, I think it is not very good. This is part of intercession, prayer, dealing with sin in the city.” Pastor Patrick Makumbi, the Founder and Presiding Bishop Of Global Gospel Healing Ministries told journalists on Thursday.
Pastor Michael Kyazze of Omega Healing Centre says the more KCCA bans these preachers, the more they will flock the streets. He urges that KCCA should rather stipulate what they do not want the preachers to do as they go about sharing the gospel on the streets.
According to the 2014 census, over 84 percent of the population in Uganda is Christian while about 14 percent of the population adhered to Islam.
editor@ugchristiannews.com
