Museveni Urges Religious Leaders to Promote Income-Generating Activities

What the report says

President Yoweri Museveni has called on religious leaders to encourage households to take up income-generating work, saying families need more than day-to-day survival to reduce poverty. In remarks delivered on his behalf by Dunstan Balaba, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Ethics and Integrity, Museveni urged believers to look beyond subsistence and focus on commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services and information and communications technology.

The message was delivered during celebrations for St Matia Mulumba at Kyebando in Mayuge Town Council, Mayuge District. Museveni also said government would continue providing security and public services such as roads, schools and healthcare, which he described as important supports for economic activity. Balaba said the President had indicated that church concerns would be considered in the coming financial year.

The event also featured local discussion of a land dispute involving St Matia Mulumba Church. Mayuge District chairperson David Ziija said district authorities would help organise meetings between church leaders and Mayuge Town Council officials to seek a resolution. He apologised for attacks on Christians working on the disputed land and said no one would be allowed to seize church property.

Archbishop Emmanuel Obbo, who presided over the Mass, used the occasion to urge Christians to remain steadfast, help others and model their lives on St Matia Mulumba, one of Uganda’s Catholic martyrs. The gathering combined a faith commemoration with wider concerns about household livelihoods, church land and local conflict.