Museveni challenges Christians on poverty eradication

President Museveni has asked Christians to join government efforts in eradicating the high levels of poverty around the country.

Uganda National Panel Survey released in November indicated that 8.4 percent of the country’s population had slipped back into poverty whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, more than 40% of the population is still living on less than $1.90 a day.

Speaking to a congregation at Sacred Heart Ntungamo Catholic in Ntungamo on Wednesday where he and the First Lady, Janet Museveni joined  Christians to celebrate a mass to thank God for entering the New Year 2020, Museveni said Christians should not only focus on worshipping but also engage in poverty eradication.

“In the Bible, it is written that God made man in His image and told him to establish dominion over nature. So, poverty is caused by a lazy person and diseases lack of hygiene and sanitation,”Museveni said.

The president also hailed locals for being united despite having different religious affiliations but urged them to wake up and fight poverty through commercial farming.

“I congratulate the people of Ntungamo for being together despite various differences and for starting to come up in the fight against poverty,” he said.

He applauded Christians for their contribution in the construction of a “magnificent” church but also urged them to desist from alcohol consumption and promiscuity.

Museveni told the congregation that government would fund Saccos in every district in the country as one of the ways to help in eradication of poverty.

He later donated Shs100 million to the Specialized Raphael Children’s Clinic that has been established by the Catholic Church that he also opened.

The clinic established by the catholic parish will later be turned into a fully-fledged hospital.

He also gave to the Christian’s Sacco, Shs30 million while the Yellow Women’s Group received Shs20 million.