Kampala Capital City Authority announced on 19th April that it will without further warning start to arrest and prosecute in the Courts of Law Christians found preaching the gospel on the streets.
KCCA claimed that the directive was put in place to restore trade, traffic order and development control in the city.
Several leaders immediately raised concern, urging that such a move is an attack on Christianity in the country.
In a meeting attended by several Pastors on Wednesday that included Pr David Kiganda, Charles Tumwiine, Fredrick Wantante, Fredrick Ssemazzi, Godfrey Luwaga, Ramathan Mukisa among others, with lawyers lead by Vicent Mutonerwa and Arthur Ayolekirwe, KCCA executive director Jennifer Musisi has said street preachers have a right to spread the gospel but they have to operate within the KCCA laws.
This meeting at City Hall was intended to draw ideas and draft a methodology upon which the activities of preaching the gospel and managing the city can find a meeting ground.
Pastor David Kiganda noted after the meeting that a select committee of 12 people was formed to make recommendations to KCCA on how street preaching can be regulated.
In his statement to media reporters, Bishop Herbert Buyondo said one of the things agreed upon in the meeting was to give Street Preachers identification.
“But we have agreed and resolved that loud speakers be stopped because [they] don’t go well with the public . . . sound pollution and all that, they are uncontrolled. Therefore, loud speakers, no.”
In response to critics, Jennifer Musisi had earlier today said during an interview with NTV Uganda that the ordinances KCCA is implementing have not just been drafted.
” The regulations, ordinances and laws we are implementing have been in place for decades. So, when we begin implementing them for example the waste ordinance 2010 – people didn’t know about it. The ordinance regulating activities on the streets including the vending, public address systems on streets, advertising, all those laws are I think from the 2006 ordinance,” She said. ” People think we have re-written some new laws or ordinances since we came, we have not. They have been on the selves for decades – unattended to, but they explain what the city should be. I was not there when these laws and ordinances were being made – not even in the making of the KCCA act – I was not actively involved.
marvin@ugchristiannews.com
