Museveni’s Bribery Antics against the Orthodox church : NRM will collapse for disturbing country — Orthodox archbishop Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga: Museveni donates Shs 400m to Orthodox Church

 

NRM will collapse for disturbing country — Orthodox archbishop

https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/NRM-will-collapse-disturbing-country-Orthodox-archbishop/688334-5088578-hnwaynz/index.html 

Friday April 26 2019

By EPHRAIM KASOZI

Kampala. The Archbishop of the Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga, has warned that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party will soon collapse because it has disturbed the nation so much”.

“We are going to suffer human rights abuse until NRM is dissolved. And it (NRM) is going to dissolve very soon. I say this prophetically, it is not going to be there because it has disturbed this nation very much. It is going to dissolve,” Metropolitan Lwanga said.

He added: “And when it dissolves, then things will go wonderfully.”

Metropolitan Lwanga made the remarks while delivering his belated Easter message at the Orthodox Secretariat on Namungoona Hill, Kampala. He was responding to a question on the rampant cases of killings and violation of human rights in the country.

Without mentioning what will happen, Metropolitan Lwanga castigated the four judges of the Supreme Court who dismissed the appeal challenging the constitutional amendment that scrapped the presidential age limit from the country’s constitution.

Efforts to get a comment from Information Minister Frank Tumwebaze were futile as his cellular phone number was inaccessible by press time.

Col Shaban Bantariza, the deputy executive director of Uganda Media Centre, said it is NRM that has made it possible for the cleric to make his prophecy against it.

“As we know, earlier it would have been to his political detriment. We respect his views, it is his wish but only one out of 40 million [Ugandans],” he said.

Metropolitan Lwanga told the media that the current political problems and situation in the country have been caused by Born-again preachers whom he accused of misleading people into thinking that being very rich makes one important before God.

“This is a mistake. Yes, it is necessary for someone to have some money, some things to do to enjoy and have life but it is not good to think that it is the only purpose of your existence in this world,” Mr Lwanga said.

“God is the one who knows when I will go but not myself to kill another man. We have to respect and love each other to assist and help each other to balance our life in order to live in the likeness and image of God,” he added.

Metropolitan Lwanga said on May 5, the church will launch a centenary anniversary and lay a foundation stone for construction of a multibillion church complex at Lubya Hill.

 

Museveni donates Shs 400m to Orthodox Church 

https://observer.ug/news/headlines/60607-museveni-donates-shs-400m-to-orthodox-church 

 

May 6, 2019 

 

Written by URN

 

President Yoweri Museveni has donated Shs 300 million towards the construction of the Uganda Orthodox Cathedral at Lubya Hill, in Rubaga Division in Kampala. He donated Shs 30m cash and pledged a further Shs 270m, saying he hadn't known the extent of the construction costs.
Museveni announced the donation while presiding over celebration marking 100 years of the evangelical mission of the Orthodox Church in Uganda. The cathedral will be built to commemorate 100 years of the Orthodox Church in Uganda.

According to Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga, the archbishop of the Orthodox Church who recently prophesied the obliteration of the ruling National Resistance Movement party due to gross human rights abuses and violations, the cathedral will be known as Hagia Sophia Cathedral.


The cathedral is expected to be a replica of Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople, which was taken over by the Ottomans. The construction will cost an estimated $4.5 million (about Shs 17 billion) is required for the construction works.

During his speech, Museveni asked the religious leaders to rally their followers to boost their household incomes through commercial activities including agriculture, services, ICTs and industries. Museveni says majority Christians are involved in subsistence farming, which is crippling them financially. He contends that once people are empowered economically they are able to support the construction of the church.

Museveni also contributed Shs 80 million to the Sacco of the church members and another Shs 20 million to the Sacco of orthodox priests. He pledged to lobby for more funds towards the construction of the church across the orthodox fraternity using his diplomatic relations.

"I saw the fraternity of the Orthodox; the Eritreans, Ethiopians, Egyptians, the Serbians, the Russians, the Greeks although the Greeks have been having a few problems recently. So I will use my diplomatic channels to mobilize resources from those areas to support the building of this church." said Museveni.

CHURCH LAND GRABBING
Meanwhile, Museveni summoned all squatters on the land belonging to the Orthodox Church at Lubya Hill in Namungoona to discuss how to resolve the dispute amicably. He was responding to a complaint by Rev Father Paul Mutaasa, the vicar general of the Orthodox Church in Uganda about encroachers on their land.

Father Mutaasa said armed men have occupied six acres of the church land and intimidate them with firearms, saying they are 'untouchable' since they are connected to the president.  
According to Fr Mutaasa, four Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) generals, a major and veteran are among the squatters.

"Your Excellence now that you have come and indeed identified yourself with us at the start of this project, we earnestly request you to support us with any means at your disposal in order to overcome the said challenges" Mutaasa said.

Fr Mutaasa made the same appeal to the Katikkiro of Buganda kingdom, since it’s the kingdom, which donated to them the land in question in 1930. Museveni said he will meet the squatters through the Kampala minister Betty Kamya and see how to resolve the dispute. He however, said he will not compensate the squatters since they encroached on the church land on their own.

Encroachment on public and private land remains a huge challenge in Uganda. A report by the Judiciary released in January this year shows that the Justice Catherine Bamugemereire Land Commission registered over 6,000 land disputes last year alone.  

 

 

Museveni ‘raids’ Orthodox church after Bobi praising critical Bishop

https://nilepost.co.ug/2019/05/05/museveni-raids-orthodox-church-after-bobi-praising-critical-bishop/ 

  by Nile Post News

 

May 5, 2019

  President Museveni will be chief guest at the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the Uganda Orthodox Cathedral Church at Lubya Hill in Namungoona, Kampala district today.
The president who is also expected to make a personal contribution to the church, will be hosted by the Archbishop of the Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga, who has been firing on all cylinders against the National Resistance Movement and government previously.
Lwanga in a previous media appearance last week warned that the NRM government would collapse because it ‘had disturbed the nation very much’, adding that the NRM exit will be the begining of good things in this country.


“We are going to suffer human rights abuse until NRM is dissolved. And it is going to dissolve very soon. I say this prophetically; it is not going to be there because it has disturbed this nation very much. It is going to dissolve,” Lwanga said.

Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga.

Lwanga claimed that the NRM are treating Ugandans like they own the country and this will be their downfall, which is coming shortly.
The archbishop also took a swipe at the judiciary, claiming that the four judges that voted in favor of removing the age limit, are subscribers to the NRM.
“All the four judges are for NRM,” he said
In response however, the party deputy secretary general Richard Todwong, said Lwanga should recall the other regimes that have ben in power and understand that NRM is far different.
“The Bishop grew up in other regimes, he should be able to believe that it (NRM) is much better than all those regimes he has seen before in Uganda. I wouldn’t want to say that he (Lwanga) is a prophet of doom, but NRM will not go through wishful thinking.”
On the issues of judges, Todwond said Lwanga should look at the democratic side of the government which is not accusing the other three judges of not supporting age limit removal.
“Those who went against us, why aren’t we accusing them of being pro-opposition? That is how democratic we are as a government.”
Lwanga impresses opposition, gets Bobi Wine praise
Lwanga’s comments earned him lavish from people power head Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu who on April 27 dedicated an entire post on his popular Facebook page.
“It gives us great joy to see religious leaders who speak truth to power in these perilous times in our country. His Eminence Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga, Archbishop of the Uganda Orthodox Church is such a leader. I am personally humbled and inspired by your boldness, courage and commitment to our country and its citizens. We pray that God continues to bless you, and hope that you will inspire more leaders in all fields to speak against injustice, unfairness and impunity,” Bobi wrote.

Lwanga the critique

Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga has been a critic of President Museveni and his regime.

The archbishop has been dominantly critical of the government and President Museveni most of the time.
In January last year, Lwanga lashed back at Museveni’s decree to keep religious leaders away from preaching and involving in politics.
“Politicians think that everything belongs to them, yet they are living on our taxes and they forget they are our and God’s servants. The work to show the people where they have to go is ours, not Museveni’s,” Lwanga said.
Museveni in an earlier address had lambasted religious leaders for what he called ‘arrogance’ which makes them want to comment ‘authoritatively’ on each and everything even without necessarily verifying its authenticity.
In December 2017, Lwanga lashed at Museveni for being a poor leader, failing to prepare a successor after ‘several years of enjoying this country’.
He also chided Museveni’s ministers for being selfish, corrupt and interested in personal gains rather than those of the country and its citizens.
He had in an earlier address condemned the age limit removal, saying it was ‘negative to the positivity of the people of Uganda’. He said the ruling party is ‘selfish’ and dictatorial in that it suffocates the opposition.
In April 2018, Lwanga condemned the rampant killings in the country following the murder of women in Entebbe and Wakiso areas. He also used the same address to claim that he was being spied on and that certain people were trailing him.
Does the orthodox Church matter to him?
According to records from the National Bureau of Statistics, the Orthodox church represents about 1 percent of the population, this puts them at about half a million.
The church is spread around 9 deaneries across the country among which include; Central, Luwero -Nakasongola, Mukono- Buikwe, Busoga region, Namutumba- Mbale- Soroti, Mubende Sembabule, Fort Portal, Lira and Gulu.
The deaneries are further subdivided into over 100 parishes to reach grassroot communities across the country.
Second religious critic in Museveni’s trap?

Lwanga will be the second religious critic in Museveni’s trap after his namesake, Kampala Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, who has since gone slow on criticising President Museveni ever since the duo holding a private meeting in April last year.
The meeting came against the backdrop of Lwanga’s claims the government had planted spies on him.
Following the meeting, Lwanga in November praised Museveni for promoting peace in Uganda while at the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Uganda Martyrs University in Nkozi, Mpigi District.
Earlier in April, Museveni donated Shs500m to a savings and credit society started by Kampala Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga.
The two then criticised the media for alleged exaggeration with intent to cause a rift between them.
Museveni and religious leaders

Museveni with the Mbarara District Khadi last month. PPU photo

President Museveni could be on a strategy campaign amongst religious leaders. On the same day, he will be expected to meet the muslim community in Gayaza where they will launch a book on his achievements.
Museveni last month attended the installation of the Mbrarara District Khadi, Sheikh Abdullah Mukwaya, where he promised government support for the projects of the muslim community. He donated a brand new car at the same event.
Before, that, Museveni had been chief guest at the centenary celebrations of Mbarara Junior School which is affiliated to Ankole Diocese, Church of Uganda. He lavished praise on the church for contributing to Uganda’s education.