There is witchcraft at State House, Kayanja tells Museveni

President Museveni and First Lady Janet are welcomed by Pastor Robert Kayanja (3rd right) upon arrival at Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral on Friday last week. PHOTO BY STEPHEN OTAGE

What you need to know:

  • Agreed. President agreed with pastor Kayanja on the existence of witchcraft, although he said it was rampant in the the army.

KAMPALA.

A top city pastor and founder of the Miracle Centre Cathedral, an imposing Pentecostal church in Kampala, has revealed how we are now living in the End Times, and that the devil is working ferociously to the extent that it has soaked president Museveni’s government.

Pastor Robert Kayanja, the younger brother of the Anglican Archbishop of York John Sentamu, directing the fire of his sermon against the evils that have bedeviled the country in President Museveni’s Kisanja hakuna mchezo term, spoke against sorcery and witchcraft and warmed Mr Museveni that State House, the nerve centre of his administration, is beset with witchcraft.

Addressing Mr Museveni, the chief guest at the end of the 77 DOGS (Days of Grace and Salvation) on Friday evening, Pr Kayanja said: “Your Excellency, witchcraft is everywhere, in Parliament and in the State House…. in the past 150 days, I have realised that the majority of the people who have brought witchcraft here are not pagans.”

He added: “The largest religion here is not Catholics. It’s not Anglican. It’s not Muslims, or Pentecostal. The largest religion here is witchcraft….People do that on purpose because you are telling someone to send demons to somebody….They are people with two names….in the 1980s Aids nearly wiped us out and yet we claim 85 per cent of us [Ugandan] are Christians.”

Although the President agreed with pastor Kayanja on the existence of witchcraft, he did not comment on the allegations that there are people practicing witchcraft in State House but talked about witchcraft in the army. He said his soldiers used to believe that when they carry reeds, it would make them immune to bullets. “He [Kayanja] has annalysed it very well….he says that the belief in witchcraft the bad thing with them is that the person relinquishes their responsibilities. Whenever something goes wrong they attribute it to someone bewitching them. That is very true. I have heard him talk about that. I had to control it because I could see it was very dangerous,” Mr Museveni said.

“When my soldiers started walking with reeds .They think that when they hold the reeds in their hands, the bullet will not hit them. I told them that I had kept quiet but am not going to permit that. If you believe the bullet will not shoot you if you are holding a reed…okay hold the reed and I shoot at you.

They said no. And I said don’t talk like that again. So you can see that that belief in superstitions not to follow science is very dangerous but it’s for you to talk to these people and Pastor Kayanja has opened the door for you…”

The President also castigating the born-again Christians for promoting sectarianism in the country by condemning other religions, especially traditionalists, who believe in witchcraft.

“What he [Pr Kayanja] said [about witchcraft] is very true,” Mr Museveni said, adding: “These Catholicism, Protestantism, and Muslimism, eh,… they are there, but also the traditional religions are there, and it is very strong and it is everywhere. Many people go to church during the day and in the evening they go to traditional religion. I saw this, but for me I mobilise all them……for peace, but you can sort out the rest later.”

Without addressing himself to Pastor Kayanja’s claim that there is witchcraft in State House and Parliament, the President asked the Born-Again-Christians to embrace people from other beliefs such as traditionalists through their good deeds other than condemning them.

“Whenever I come to these gatherings and see so many of you, [I feel blessed]. I go to Namugongo [for Catholics and Anglicans] and see millions, I see Muslims. They are all people of God and if you don’t know that; then you are not a Christian,” Mr Museveni said.

The President explained that although there are modern religions, the traditional religion is very strong and everywhere and many people go to churches, but go to the shrines at night.

Explaining his relationship with traditionalists, Mr Museveni said without delving into the details: “Some people ask why I deal and [dine] with them (traditional believers]. You know what Jesus says; that I did not come for the health but for the sick.”
Mr Museveni, who was in company of First Lady Janet Kataha used the same platform to call upon all religious leaders to rally the faithful in the fight against environment degradation which he said is the major reason why the country has experienced extreme temperatures in the past.

The Friday event followed the first crusade on Thursday which saw a total of 200 couples exchanging their marriage vows in a mass wedding that caused public excitement.

Pastor Kayanja asked government to revise the marriage law so that it gives licences to specific churches and not individuals who can wed people anywhere.

“Why would people in Arua and Kibaale be forced to look for a building and have to walk for 40 miles to look for the church and when they find one; they have to pay Shs300,000 to get holy matrimony, yet these people have lived together in marriage. These 200 people who wedded have nothing,” the Pastor said, complaining that many Christians have shunned holy marriage and resorted to cohabitation which he said is free but sinful.

Tithing Budget
Pastor Kayanja, in his sermon asked the President to contribute at least 10 per cent of the national budget [about Shs26b] to the church in fulfillment of one of one of the Christian virtues of paying tenth of their monthly earnings.