Learning institutions lack knowledge of God - Janet

Institutions of learning don’t have the knowledge of God, the Education minister, Ms Janet Kataaha Museveni, has said.

“Many of these institutions are devoid of the knowledge of God, as you might remember in our olden days, most of our schools were founded by religious groups. Each school had a chapel in the compound and scripture union was very active in schools,” she said.

Ms Museveni was speaking yesterday at the golden jubilee celebrations of African Evangelistic Enterprise (AEE) at Makerere University Rugby Grounds.

The minister added that during their old days, parents used to teach their children about God unlike today.

“As they (children) joined higher institutions of learning, they were already spiritually grounded because even at the family level, most parents at that time were God-fearing and had time to teach their children the fear and knowledge of God,” the First Lady said.

 “However, in these very difficult times that we live in where parents have no time for their children, even the schools don’t have a system that guides the children on the knowledge of God. Most university students are not interested in knowing the Lord.  As we talk about digitising education, so that our children are able to access all kinds of information, it might even direct them further away from the Lord,” she added.

Citing the recent death of a student during campaigns for guild elections in Makerere University, Ms Museveni attributed the incident to a spiritual void among the youths.

She urged leaders to take charge and ensure that the next generations are rooted in religion.

Tasking the Church

Speaking at the same event, former Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Rt Rev Henry Luke Orombi, said so much evil is occurring across the nation because the church is silent and is no longer felt in communities.

“If the dog doesn’t bark, the home owner will never know that there is an intruder,” he said.

He asked the congregation to love one another, embrace each other and walk “shoulder to shoulder if we are to overcome the enemy of man and God”.

The former Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, hailed African Evangelistic Enterprise for the work done and shared how the organisation, founded by the late Bishop Festo Kivengere, educated him while he was abroad.

Background

African Evangelistic Enterprise (AEE) was started by Bishop Festo Kivengere in 1965. It fights for gender and child rights promotion, formal and informal education, health, nutrition, clean water, and HIV/Aids awareness.

Bishop Kivengere was forced to flee the country to England in 1977 after criticising the regime of then President, Idd Amin Dada, but later returned home after Amin’s downfall in 1979. He succumbed to cancer of Leukemia in 1988 in Nairobi, Kenya.

He is remembered for helping more than 1,000 people during his service as Bishop of Kigezi Diocese from 1972 to 1988.  He is celebrated annually.

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