Uganda's Minister for the Presidency, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, has praised President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for safeguarding freedom of worship in the country. She made these remarks while officiating at a fundraising ceremony for the completion of Kkindu Catholic Church in Masaka, where she contributed UGX 5 million towards the construction project. Babalanda expressed gratitude to the former Vice President, H.E. Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, and the church leadership for inviting her to participate in the event.
Babalanda conveyed warm greetings from President Museveni, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni, and other officials. She applauded President Museveni for providing an environment where Ugandans can worship freely according to their respective religious beliefs and denominations without interference. This, she noted, remains an important achievement under the NRM Government, enabling religious institutions to fulfil their spiritual and community development responsibilities.
The Minister encouraged Christians to remain steadfast in prayer, uphold their faith, and actively support the Church. She emphasised that spiritual growth should go hand in hand with discipline, hard work, and responsible living. Babalanda urged the congregation to embrace government wealth-creation initiatives, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, and Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), to increase their incomes and progressively overcome poverty.
Babalanda commended the Katikkiro of Buganda, Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga, for championing the Emwanyi Terimba initiative and applauded the people of Masaka for embracing coffee growing as a viable pathway to household wealth creation. She called upon religious and political leaders to take an active role in disseminating government wealth-creation messages at the grassroots, noting that churches and other religious institutions are strategic platforms for mobilising communities towards socio-economic transformation.
Under the theme “No More Sleep, No Corruption,” Babalanda challenged Ugandans, particularly leaders, to abandon complacency and join the fight against corruption. She urged Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and other local government leaders to work closely with relevant authorities to identify and eliminate corrupt practices, stressing that public resources must be protected and utilised for their intended purposes to benefit the people.
Babalanda further commended H.E. Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi for his continued leadership and commitment to guiding the community towards strengthening its relationship with God, embracing hard work, and participating in productive economic activities. She reiterated that overcoming poverty requires a combination of faith, prayer, discipline, integrity, and deliberate participation in income-generating activities.
The Minister's UGX 5 million contribution towards the completion of Kkindu Catholic Church reaffirmed her commitment to supporting religious institutions and their contribution to spiritual growth, moral guidance, and community development. Her address emphasised the importance of collaboration between government initiatives and faith-based efforts to drive socio-economic transformation and improve the lives of Ugandans.
Key points
- Minister Babalanda praises President Museveni for protecting freedom of worship in Uganda.
- Babalanda urges citizens to combine prayer and hard work to overcome poverty.
- The Minister commends H.E. Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi for his leadership and commitment to community development.
