Cost of living crisis has left congregants hungry, angry – Archbishop Kaziimba
Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu
What you need to know:
- Archbishop Steven Kaziimba Mugalu made the comment on Thursday while appearing on NTV Uganda’s current affairs talk show, On the Spot.
The head of the Church of Uganda has said prelates are increasingly finding it difficult to connect with congregants who are smarting from the cost of living crisis.
Archbishop Steven Kaziimba Mugalu made the comment on Thursday while appearing on NTV Uganda’s current affairs talk show, On the Spot.
“Everybody is crying and it is very challenging to be leading, to be preaching, to be ministering to people who are crying,” Archbishop Kaziimba said, adding: “I take this opportunity to sympathise with people, people who are really suffering, people who are hurt by the economy and escalating prices in the country.”
Archbishop Kaziimba said while the Russia-Ukraine war has spiked prices, leaders in Uganda should use everything in their toolkit to ameliorate living standards. He also advised Ugandans “to spend the little money that we have” sparingly so as to get through what is undoubtedly a tough situation.
“I strongly make an appeal to the leadership, especially in the Ministry of Finance or other related ministries to ensure that something is done to intervene to ensure that Ugandans live a relatively comfortable life amidst these challenges,” he noted.
Archbishop Kaziimba said the Church cannot shy away from speaking truth to power.
“As ministers of the gospel, our work is to bring the prophetic voice. We speak the truth in love and let people know, including our leaders,” he said, adding: “…I do my part and I also pray and we continue praying and preaching and instructing and also whispering because there are some messages we bring, but there is also a time I inbox somebody and say come on.”
The archbishop also acknowledged that evil has continuously found its way inside the hearts of the followers of Jesus Christ. He noted that rebellions have also rocked the church leadership especially those who opt for materialism and secularism.
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“We are in a world where there are many challenges…we face secularism, materialism, rebellions. It is historical that people forget their call and want to become chiefs instead of being servants,” he noted.
The archbishop also conceded that Martyrs’ Day in-person celebrations have severally fallen short, with pilgrims giving in to sins of the flesh. Some of the intoxicated pilgrims, he added: “even come to Namugongo with condoms.”
Concerned that many girls were defiled, raped, enticed, and impregnated during the pandemic-induced lockdown, the archbishop appealed to all stakeholders in the education sector to ensure that the affected learners are counselled and restored to their proper channels. He also hastened to fault the government for not preparing enough for the affected learners.
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“The Church is saying, yes we want these children to continue, but after thorough preparation. The teachers must be counselled to be able to receive and the children should be prepared and also something should be worked on in our laws because our laws were saying, ‘no pregnant child is expected back to school’,” he said.
