The saying that Church should not interfere in the affairs of the State, and that the State should not meddle in the concerns of the Church is nothing close to what is happening in Uganda today.
The latest, Former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president, Gen Mugisha Muntu has according to the Daily Monitor told Church Leaders to remain remain confident and strong as they continue critiquing the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government where it’s going wrong.
He said, according to the source, the NRM regime is nearing its end now that it has started confronting the church.
Gen Muntu was speaking at a consultative meeting with leaders in Bugisu sub region at Kayegi hotel in Mbale town on Friday.
He explained that “government is simply acting naïve and scared of the influence and the power that religious leaders hold.”
“The religious leaders should remain confident and strong as they continue critiquing the government where it’s going wrong. I appeal to them to not fear because the God is there to protect them,” he said, according to the source.
“The regime thinks that they will attack the church and people will simply look on like other issues, however; this is now the triggering factor and the revolution is about to start if the leadership in power does not come out to act upon the grievances of the people in the country,” he added
Unlike before when Opposition leaders accused Clergy of “baring their heads in the sand”, many today seen to resonate with their involvement and sermons at the altar themed on the country’s political and social issues.
To the ruling government however, the Clergy have been deemed partisan.
President Yoweri Museveni a while back warned religious leaders against making political statements.
In his caution, specifically shot in the direction of the bishops, Mr Museveni indicated that the clerics, just like traditional leaders and soldiers, are specifically prohibited from active politics.
The Observer on April 5 reported that President Museveni chastised the Catholic archbishop of Kampala, Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, for turning to the media to air out his grievances over claims that the state is recruiting priests to spy on bishops.
“The president said he had had a better working relationship with Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala because for him if he had any problem, he would seek audience with the president instead of going to the media like Lwanga does,” the Observer article read.
Muntu on Friday wondered why “the government would support religious leaders who are lenient to regime while subjecting to oppression those who simply speak out about the ill deeds by government.”
male@ugchristiannews.com
