President Yoweri Museveni has warned the media in Uganda against publishing false information aimed at causing confusion. He said that some news outlets report sensational stories meant to cause collision between church and state.
Museveni passed the warning on Tuesday while attending a conference by the Wekembe Group, an initiative by Archbishop Cyprian Lwanga to help Christians eradicate poverty from their homes. The event was held at Hotel Africana in Kampala.
“I want really to warn some of these newspapers that we are here to build our country. As Christians, we work for peace not for discord. Do not make it a business to spread discord,” said the President.
Earlier, the Kampala Archdiocese Archbishop, Cyprian Lwanga had similarly stated that some newspapers were publishing unresearched information.
The comments come weeks after the Archbishop raised some concerns regarding the alleged recruitment of priests by the state to spy on some of the religious leaders. Later, President Museveni met with Lwanga to discuss and resolve the matter.
On Tuesday, Museveni lauded the church for undertaking such initiatives to helping citizens to create wealth, likening it to government’s Operation Wealth Creation programme that seeks to support farmers to better their incomes.
He pledged to partner with the church and encourage OWC to learn from the former’s approach where beneficiaries are only supported after intensive training.
At the event, Museveni committed to give Wekembe Group a Shs 500 million boost in the next financial year to support its activities.
Established in 1995, Wekembe Group has so far supported 12,800 beneficiaries organised in 526 community based associations in eight districts of Butambala, Kampala, Luweero, Mpigi, Mukono, Nakaseke, Buikwe and Wakiso.
Archbishop Lwanga said Wekembe Group is not limited to Catholics, adding that beneficiaries are drawn from all faiths.
He urged Ugandans to promote peace in their communities, families, neighbours as well as in the country and above all with God.
Earlier some members of Wekembe Association, including Joseph Lwevuze, a prominent farmer from Kasana Luweero diocese and Rose Namugwe from Lugazi, gave moving testimonies of how the association has changed their lives.
The conference comes days after President Yoweri Museveni hosted a delegation of religious leaders at his country home in Rwakitura and rallied them to educate the masses about engaging in farming as an income generating activity.
The President advised the clergy to use their position in society to inspire Ugandans into agricultural production and other income generating enterprises.
