Would God allow NRM leaders in heaven if he wasn’t imaginary?

The God that is described in the Bible cares a lot about humanity — or is supposed to do so. John 3:16, for example, says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son and whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

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God also issued the Biblical 10 Commandments, as evidenced in the Books of Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. For people who think for themselves, the commandments that top the list seem frivolous, but there are those that should always be taken seriously. For example, Thou shalt not kill; Thou shalt not commit adultery; Thou shalt not steal.

Many Ugandans talk about God, and they have the right to do so, but people who talk about God and make me cringe inside are those who lead Ugandans and are senior members of the governing NRM.

When I see them (and members of their inner circle) on TV/social media using the name of God, sometimes I say: “How can you not be ashamed to talk about God when you are doing everything God frowns upon? I wish God were real and could speak to people and say he has nothing to do with you and that you will be roasted in eternal hellfire. Would God allow you in heaven if he was not imaginary?”

Let us go back to the commandments and focus on “Thou shalt not kill”. We all remember what happened in November 2020 just months before the presidential elections. The BBC made a documentary that clearly shows that security forces opened fire and killed innocent people, although the government insists they were violent protesters.

We remember the November 2016 massacre in Kasese. Human Rights Watch is on record as saying that Ugandan authorities failed — “refused” is probably a better word — to investigate the police and military that killed more than 100 people. Those killed included at least 15 children. (Our leaders are parents, the men they use to kill are parents, and they all love their children.) We remember the Mukura massacres of July 1989 when more than 60 boys and men died of suffocation and hunger after being crammed into train wagons for about three days.

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We remember the thousands of skulls of Ugandans who were killed in Luweero between 1981 and 1985. The government blamed the killings on Milton Obote’s army, but one military officer — he died in August 2021 — said that NRA fighters used to wear army uniforms, kill civilians and blame government troops. It is worth mentioning that all the conflict-related deaths in Luweero would never occur if the current administration did not launch an armed rebellion.

And you have to wonder: Why would men who have presided over a government that has killed children too young to know what conflict means, a government that once used child soldiers to fight a war they really did not understand go to heaven if it existed?

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Enter “Thou shalt not commit adultery”. The least said about this the better. We know prominent politicians who have fathered children out of wedlock; we know women that have left their matrimonial homes because they have been cheated on.

How about “Thou shalt not steal”? The adjective I often use to describe corruption in my country is “horrendous”. The Inspectorate of Government introduced the Leadership Code to force leaders to declare their income, assets and liabilities. The ones who have declared their assets tend to have little or nothing.

The use of God’s name by our leaders sucks.

Mr Musaazi Namiti is a journalist and former Al Jazeera digital editor in charge of the Africa desk

[email protected]    @kazbuk