Museveni gives 220 in-calf heifers to Church of Uganda
A team from Luweero Diocese led by the Bishop Elidard Nsubuga (4th left) recieve some of the in-calf dairy heifers. PHOTO/DAN WANDERA
What you need to know:
- The Church of Uganda has 37 Dioceses, with each diocese administered by a bishop.
- Mid-August, Church of Uganda bishops held a meeting with Operation Wealth Creation team and a number of permanent secretaries from different ministries to discuss about partnership largely in modernised agriculture and improvement of household income across the province.
- The meeting, held at Kawanda, the headquarters of National Agriculture Research Organisation (NARO), was chaired by Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba.
President Museveni has fulfilled part of his pledge to the Church of Uganda by delivering 220 in-calf heifers.
In his letter dated October 31, 2019, addressed to the then Archbishop, Dr Stanley Ntagali, President Museveni pledged to help the Church get 300 in-calf heifers in response to an earlier request by the archbishop.
On Wednesday, the Church received 220 in-calf heifers, with a promise that the entire pledge would soon be delivered through the government Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) programme where the Church is part of the targeted beneficiaries.
Mr Mworozi Baingana, the coordinator of the National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads) projects at the Province of the Church of Uganda, confirmed to Saturday Monitor that the 220 in-calf heifers received by the Church have already been dispersed to different dioceses respectively as the Church awaits the next delivery as part of the presidential pledge.
“For example, Luweero Diocese has received 10 in-calf heifers and we have already executed deliveries to the other dioceses. We have also received two tractors of the 10 tractors that President Museveni pledged,” Mr Baingana said .
Luweero Diocesan Bishop Elidard Nsubuga said the presidential donation is a big boost to the Church farm, and it will enhance their dairy farming project.
“We thank the President for honoring his pledge. We are in a period where farming is one of the few activities that can generate income under the current Covid-19 pandemic lockdown,” he said.
The Luweero Resident District Commissioner, Ms Miriam Mugisha, on behalf of the Office of the President, said like many other Ugandans who have benefited from the OWC farm inputs, the President hopes the Church will use the in-calf cows to improve the livelihoods of Christians .
“We have hope that the Church is taking the right direction. Our people should not only have the word of God, but need to have enough food for their respective families,” she said.
In the letter to Archibishop Ntagali, the President commended the Church for aligning itself with the four dimensional mission of Jesus Christ while on earth; preaching the gospel, healing the sick, feeding the hungry and emphasis on work when He helped his father, Joseph, at the carpentry workshop.
“I have received your letter of October 15, 2019 requesting equipment for agriculture and inputs. This is very good. The Church of Uganda is aligning itself with the four dimensional mission of Jesus while here on earth as stated in the Holy Bible,” Mr Museveni’s letter to the Archbishop reads in part .
President Museveni also promised to give the Church of Uganda 800,000 mango seedlings, 1,000 improved goats, 50,000 kuroiler chicks, 50,000 layer chicks, 50,000 broiler chicks and 3,000 bags of cassava cuttings.
OWC was born from the ashes of Naads, which was established in 2002 to create a system that facilitates effective national social-economic transformation with the focus of raising household incomes to eradicate poverty and sustainable wealth creation.
However, soldiers who are spear heading the distribution of OWC programme have on several occasions been accused of supplying sub-standard farm inputs.
