President Yoweri Museveni is set to meet over 1,000 religious leaders this year (July) to sensitize them on government’s wealth creation programme with hope that they will apply and promote the same strategy among believers.
This was revealed on Friday when the President hosted a delegation of about 60 religious leaders under their umbrella organisation the Inter-religious Council of Uganda, led by their chairman, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, The chief Mufti of Uganda.
Others present included Apostle Charles Tumwine, Bishop Joshua Lwere, His Grace the Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali, Pr. Daniel Matte who is President of the Seventh-day Adventist Uganda Union, His Grace Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, His Eminence Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga who is the Archbishop of Uganda Orthodox Church among others.
The meeting, according to a local state linked news daily, was a follow-up on the recent familiarization tour by the religious leaders to the districts of Ibanda, karuhuura and Masaka that involved the monitoring of the NRM government’s Operation Wealth Creation programme (OWC).
President Museveni also promised to give the Religious Council Sh5b to facilitate the promotion of Wealth Creation among believers.
OWC was started years back to mobilize the masses to engage in commercial agricultural activities to boost their household incomes. The responsiveness of the target population to the strategic objective of the President, that is national socio-economic transformation, according to critics, will determine the success of the programme.
President Museveni on the other hand urged the clergy to lead by example and proposed that they execute their wealth creation efforts through the parishes set up by Government.
Museveni, according to sources, agreed to meet with the Inter Religious Council three times a year and also backed a suggestion that official vehicles be purchased tax-free for religious institutions to enable them carry out pastoral work.
aaron@ugchristiannews.com
