Bishop to MPs: Don’t cling to power using witchcraft
The Bishop of Soroti Catholic Diocese, Joseph Eciru Oliach (right), and the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among (centre), during Mass at her home in Bukedea District yesterday. Photo | Parliament
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What you need to know:
- The bishop advised the MPs to avoid devilish ways and live a life that is reflective of Uganda’s motto “For God and my country’’.
Soroti Diocese Bishop Joseph Eciru Oliach has warned lawmakers against using witchcraft to ostensibly safeguard their seats.
“There is nowhere that witchcraft can take you, the people you are leading believe in God and it is the only way to heaven,” Bishop Oliach said while presiding over Mass during the homecoming ceremony of Parliament Speaker Anita Among in Bukedea District yesterday.
More than 300 lawmakers attended the function at the Speaker’s palatial home in Aereere Village, Kamutur Sub-county .
The bishop advised the MPs to avoid devilish ways and live a life that is reflective of Uganda’s motto “For God and my country’’.
“Let us spread peace and unity,’’ he said.
Speaker Among, who also doubles as the Bukedea District Woman MP, organised the fete to thank voters for picking her as their representative in the 11th Parliament and legislators for voting her in May 2021 as the Deputy Speaker and subsequently 10 months later as the Speaker following the demise of Jacob Oulanyah.
“I want to sincerely thank you so much for the overwhelming support you gave me to become the Deputy Speaker and then the Speaker,” Ms Among told her constituents and MPs.
In support of the prelate’s advise, Ngora District Woman MP Stella Apolot said some politicians reportedly visit witchdoctor’s shrines during campaigns in the hope of invoking blessings or casting a spell over opponents.
“What [the] bishop [Oliach] said is true and I want to encourage my fellow MPs to value God,’’ Ms Apolot said.
During the same event, Speaker Among revealed that the First Son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, was expected today in Kuchumbala, Bukedea, as he makes his way to Soroti City.
“I want to direct all members who are around and those who are about to arrive to attend that function,’’ she said.
The details of the planned activity in Bukedea by Gen Muhoozi, a senior adviser to his father on Special Operations, remained unclear although he in the past traversed the country to celebrate his 49th birthday.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday to headline yesterday’s event, Ms Among asked the youth to embrace farming for sustainable wealth creation.
“My encouragement to the young people is that humility is very important; you need to be down to earth. I have it all, but I can still come down here [in my village] to look after my cows,” the Speaker said.
She added: “When I was growing up, you would find somebody having chicken and after two or three months, they have bought a goat and after a goat, they have bought cows. You need to do something and keep growing.”
Ms Among said she got the farming inspiration when she visited President Museveni’s farm in Kisozi, Gomba District.
“I want to encourage everyone, including my honourable colleague [MPs] that agriculture is the only way to go; it can never let you down,” she said.
“When my farm becomes big, I [will] give out cows to the women [in the constituency] so that they also develop themselves. This area is for farming, so we use cow dung as fertilisers and the community also takes the milk,” she added.
