President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on Ugandans to work hard, develop their God-given talents and contribute to national development, saying the responsibility to build the country is consistent with Biblical teachings.
The President made the remarks on Thursday during the 28th Uganda National Prayer Breakfast at State House Entebbe, held under the theme, “Wake Up, Work Hard, Build Uganda.”
Organised by Parliament, the annual event took place on the eve of Uganda’s 64th Independence anniversary, with President Museveni as chief guest and Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Jacob Markson Oboth Oboth as chief host.
“First of all, I congratulate Ugandans on this Independence Day, which we are going to celebrate tomorrow. Secondly, I want to thank God for preserving the life of Maama and ensuring her steady recovery. I praise God for that mercy,” President Museveni said.
The President commended Parliament for sustaining the prayer breakfast tradition and traced its origins to the United States, where Christian leaders invited the National Resistance Movement (NRM) leadership during the early years of its government.
He said he had been informed that the tradition emerged during periods of conflict, when political leaders who were not communicating with one another turned to prayer as a means of promoting dialogue and unity.
Museveni said the idea reflected lessons from his own experience as a student leader in the 1960s, when he opposed politics based on tribal and religious divisions.
“In Uganda at that time, politics had been sectarian according to tribes and religions, pretending to work for God when in fact they were fighting one another on behalf of God. I was president of the students union, but I walked out because they were wrong,” he said.
“I told them that when God created man, He created him in His own image. So, when you hate anybody because of a tribe or religion, you are hating a product of God.”
The President also recalled serving as president of the Scripture Union in the 1960s, saying he challenged interpretations of Christianity that appeared to glorify poverty or discourage people from working to improve their lives.
He cited the Biblical parable of the talents, in which a master rewards a servant who multiplies what has been entrusted to him.
“I told them about the parable of the talents. The master rewarded the one who had multiplied the talents and punished the one who had not. I said I cannot sit on my talents; I must multiply them,” President Museveni said.
He also recalled a disagreement in 1965 at Mwiri with people who argued that Christians should pray and leave everything else to God.
Museveni said that position overlooked the Biblical teaching that human beings had been given responsibility over creation. He also cited the account of Jesus overturning the tables of traders in the temple as an example of taking action when necessary.
The President said the National Prayer Breakfast was consistent with the principle of loving God wholeheartedly while also loving one’s neighbour.
First Lady gives testimony of thanksgiving and healing
First Lady Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni led the closing prayer, offering thanksgiving for the country, its achievements and her recovery from illness.
She thanked God for sustaining Uganda over the years, quoting Psalm 111, which speaks of the greatness of God’s works and the enduring nature of His righteousness.
“We are gathered here today on the eve of our 64th Independence celebration to give thanks to You, our God, for all of Your mercies towards us. It is Your guiding hand that has strengthened, guided and upheld us all these many years,” she said.
The First Lady thanked God for what she described as a peaceful electoral process earlier in the year, President Museveni’s swearing-in for another term, and the inauguration of Cabinet and Parliament, saying the institutions had renewed their commitments to service delivery, transparency and integrity.
She also thanked God for Uganda’s response to the Ebola outbreak in the region, saying the country had contained the threat while keeping schools open and maintaining normal life.
Maama Janet commended health workers for their dedication and for providing medical support to neighbouring countries.
“We thank You for building our internal capacity as a nation so that we are now able to be of help and support to our neighbours,” she said.
On the oil and gas sector, the First Lady thanked God for what she described as the inauguration of Uganda’s crude oil project, named Pearl Sweet, in preparation for first production.
“This was a vision You put in the heart of our President many decades ago and now finally we are beginning to see the fulfilment of that dream,” she said.
She prayed that Uganda’s natural resources would benefit the country and contribute to economic growth.
The First Lady also prayed for sufficient rainfall without destructive weather conditions, particularly for farming communities, and called for greater investment in irrigation to reduce dependence on rainfall.
“Help us to take more strides in the area of irrigation because You have blessed us with many water bodies across the nation and we need to use this water resource responsibly and not only rely on the rainfall,” she prayed.
Maama Janet also remembered the late King of Tooro, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, thanking God for his life and legacy and praying for comfort for his family and the people of the kingdom.
“We appreciate the comfort and consolation that You gave to the people of Tooro and Uganda as we grieved the loss of the young King Oyo,” she said.
The First Lady then gave a personal testimony, attributing her recovery to God’s mercy and the prayers of Ugandans.
“Finally, Lord, on my own behalf and on behalf of my family, I give You all the praise and glory for saving my life and giving me this opportunity to stand in the congregation of Your people and testify of Your goodness, mercies and healing power,” she said.
“I thank You that in my hour of need, the families and children of Uganda also prayed for me and carried me in their hearts. This prayer breakfast is even more poignant for my family and me because we know that we have received great mercy and grace this year,” she added.
She prayed for divine wisdom and guidance for President Museveni and called on government officials to embrace servant leadership.
The First Lady also prayed for national unity, invoking Exodus 33, in which Moses asks for God’s presence to accompany the people.
Speaker commends prayer tradition
Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Jacob Markson Oboth Oboth thanked God for the gathering and commended President Museveni for continuing to host the National Prayer Breakfast at State House.
“Thank you, Your Excellency, for opening the doors of the State House to host these prayers for all these years. We are grateful for that example in leadership. Maama Janet, we thank you for your ministry of prayer and for becoming a pillar at a time when many of us are demanded by the crowds,” Speaker Oboth said.
He described the theme, “Wake Up, Work Hard and Build Uganda,” as timely, citing the country’s pursuit of industrialisation, infrastructure development, peace and security.
The keynote address was delivered by H.E. Eduard Heger, former Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic.
The breakfast also featured prayers for families, the economy, Uganda, the region and international peace.
Hon. Mary Kamili Kuteesa led prayers for families, while Hon. Wilfred Babanga, MP for Terego East, prayed for the economy. Hon. Alfred Edakasi, MP for Kaberamaido, led prayers for the nation, while Government Chief Whip Hon. Jane Ruth Aceng prayed for the region.
Hon. Naome Kabasharira, MP for Rushenyi, led prayers for peace in the world.
Readings from Proverbs 20 and Matthew 25 were led by Hon. Santa Alum and Hon. Tom Bright Amooti, respectively.
Dr Canon Gaster Lule, founder of Ntake Bakery, which was established in 1978, also shared his testimony.