GULU: The Catholic priest of Holy Rosary church in Gulu town has urged believers to stand up and defend the Constitution from what he called being changed to suit the interest of President Museveni.
Reverend Fr. Eric Uma was delivering a sermon on Sunday, December 17, in Gulu town. He said legislators fear President Museveni and it is the reason they are being coerced to abrogate the Constitution by amending Article 102 (b).
Fr Uma urged Christians to emulate John the Baptist in the Bible and bear witness of the light and truth.
Reading from the gospel of saint John, Fr Uma said: “I came to bear witness to the light and this light is Jesus Christ who stands amidst us because our hearts are hardened with sin our eyes are blinded with corruption.”
“Let us pray for our President and the Members of Parliament so that God may protect them from the greed of their heart; the greed to cling to power, the greed to manipulate the laws because Uganda is better than them, and that Ugandans may stand firm to defend and protect the Constitution,” he said.
He continued that it’s selfishness for Member of Parliament to propose increasing their tenure from five to seven years, urging that the leaders were not voted to cling to power.
He urged the congregation to vote out the self-seeking Members of Parliament in the 2021 general election.
The early morning prayer session was also attended by Museveni’s main rival and former presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye who was accompanied by Gulu Woman Member of Parliament, Betty Aol Ochan.
Besigye hailed religious leaders for voicing up the voiceless people, saying that religious leaders have a responsibility of delivering such message to people all over Uganda.
“Our country is captive, the people are in captivity that is why those few people want to do their will rather than the will of people by bringing guns to parliament to frighten the majority of people so that they can do what they want” Dr Besigye said.
He said the 1995 Constitution was amended with safeguards of presidential age limit and president term limit and the people trying to change it are not only violating the will of the people but overthrowing the constitution because the two sections are the heart of constitution which allows for peaceful transfer of power.
“We must fight so that they don’t overthrow it, but if they succeed, we will have to fight to reinstate the will of the people and we are ready for both,” Dr Besigye said.
He encouraged the congregation to remain hopeful for change, urging that God’s timing is unique even when people feel imprisoned in their own country. He advised them to mind more about the soul, which he said, cannot be imprisoned.
