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Stand up for truth, Mao tells clerics
DP president Norbert Mao
Kampala- Democratic Party president Norbert Mao has appealed to religious leaders not to hide their heads in the sand on the issues of truth and justice in the country.
While addressing journalists at DP’s weekly press conference in Kampala yesterday, Mr Mao said the party has drafted a letter for religious leaders because they are among the most influential people in Uganda to use their platform to defend truth and justice.
“We urge religious leaders that even when you have received certain amount of money like certain bishops, that should not blind you from seeing what is wrong, that should not make you to start concocting new birthdays and baptism dates,” Mr Mao said.
He added that their campaign against age limit is a moral struggle.
“We are telling the other side to respect the Constitution. We are reminding religious leaders of their obligation to stand for truth and justice,” Mr Mao said.
The DP president added that he has requested for an appointment with the Inter-religious Council of Uganda “so that we can present the letter officially”.
Early this month, President Museveni celebrated 70 years of baptism at St Luke Church of Uganda, Kinoni Archdeaconry in Rwampara, Mbarara District.
This is the church where he was baptised on August 3, 1947.
The President said he was baptised when he was two years and 11 months old.
During the thanksgiving ceremony, Mr Museveni said he was born in September 1944, adding that he will be 73 years old next month.
He, however, said he doesn’t have his birth certificate because he could not find it at Mbarara Hospital where he was born.
His public pronouncement that he will be turning 73 next month, comes at the time when there is an ongoing debate of amending Article 102 to lift the presidential age limit.
This means that if the Constitution is not amended, then President Museveni will not be eligible to seek a re-election in the next general election of 2021 because he will be above 75 years of age.
Mr Mao urged them to stand firm and emulate religious leaders such as Sheikh Obedi Kamulegeya, Archbishop Janan Luwum and Archbishop Joseph Kiwanuka.
“It is dangerous when religious leaders become cozy with power this makes them to lose their rights to tell the truth,” he said.
