Pray for middle income status - Ssekandi

Greetings. Mr Ssekandi greets Bishop John Baptist Odama during prayers at Wipolo Paimol last Thursday. Photo by Juluis Ocungi

What you need to know:

  • Mr Ssekandi also noted that blessed Okello and Irwa together with other Uganda Martyrs have brought pride to Uganda, which is now known worldwide as the country of martyrs.
  • The martyrs were beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 20, 2002.

AGAGO. The Vice President Edward Ssekandi has asked Christians to pray unceasingly to the Uganda Martyrs for the country to realise it’s middle income status dream by 2020.
The vice president made the remarks while speaking to thousands of Christians who gathered at Paimol Wi Polo Shrine in Agago District for the annual celebration of Blessed Jildo Irwa and Daudi Okello last Thursday.
Okello and Irwa were Acholi catechists who were martyred in 1918 for their devotion in preaching Christianity in Northern Uganda.
They were beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 20, 2002.
“Let us pray to Okello and Irwa for Uganda to graduate into middle income, let us also pray and believe that they will become saints,” Mr Ssekandi said.
For the last 30 years, President Museveni, through initiation of various other developmental projects has been pushing for a middle income status to be attained by 2020.

Mr Ssekandi also noted that blessed Okello and Irwa together with other Uganda Martyrs have brought pride to Uganda, which is now known worldwide as the country of martyrs. “Our spiritual assembly at Paimol today just like June 3 at Namugongo Shrine, are living memories and appreciation of 24 Ugandan martyrs that pronounced Christ and made Uganda a blessed nation, they lived to the motto of ‘For God and My Country’ even before the country got her independence,”
The vice president said the two martyrs are testimonies and challenges to the nation more especially to the youth within Acholi Sub-region arguing that they should embrace their ways of Christian lives.
“Through their martyrdom, Wipolo shrine is developing and has become a faith-based destination for Christians all over the world,” Mr Sekandi said.

Government committed
Mr Ssekandi who contributed Shs5m towards the development of Paimol Shrine said government is committed towards the upgrade of the shrine.
Gulu Diocese Bishop John Baptist Odama who was the chief celebrant in his sermon challenged the Christians to live exemplary lives just like Blessed Irwa and Okello who stood for their faith. “Christians should not live with hatred but instead love one another and be able to forgive,” Bishop Odama said.