Catholic priest Father Anthony Musaala has castigated a section of Ministers who are promoting sectarianism and tribalism following NRM’s Central Region poor performance in the just concluded presidential and parliamentary elections.
Since last week, some ministers such as Godfrey Kiwanda Ssubi, Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja and Esther Mbayo have been playing the tribal and sectarian card citing the factors as some of the reasons why the ruling party lost in most parts of Buganda.
They accused the Buganda and Catholic Church leaderships of playing a major role in decampaigning NRM candidates in the Central Region.
“Some religious leaders have de-campaigned us directly. You been seeing several clips of Catholic priests speaking ill about our party and most of those priests come from the central region,”Tourism Minister Kiwanda said last week.
Agriculture Minister Ssempijja who is among the over 20 ministers who were kicked out of their constituencies when he lost miserably to NUP’s Francis Katabaazi Katongole also attributed his defeat to the catholic church.
“This priest, after getting his ballot paper, he faced the voters, rose his arms made the sign of the cross. While holding his ballot paper the priest shouted and showed voters who to vote. He then ticked Robert Kyagulanyi before casting his vote. The priest did the same when he reached the MPs’ section as he voted NUP candidate Katabaazi. How then could I win? The priest influenced voters who were in the line, “Said Ssempijja.
However, while leading a mass on Sunday at Lubaga Cathedral, Fr Musaala said that politicians who think that priests or church must not intervene in the politics of the country are misinformed.
“There are some ministers who said that priests must stay out of politics but that is not going to work. Because the soul lives in the body, when you come to the church you come with your body and the soul. As Church we have to talk about what’s right and what’s wrong. That’s one of our cardinal roles, ” Fr Musaala said.
“God wants a new Uganda. It is not just Bobi Wine’s project, it is God’s plan. Uganda needs to be changed. Corruption, killings, kidnapping, land grabbing, tribalism. Do we need that kind of Uganda? What I am saying is not politics, it is the gospel.We need peace in our country. Why are people jailed? They must be set free and if they are not released this could breed bad hearts in the people,” he added.
He also asked security officers to desist from actions of brutality against citizens of Uganda.
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