Fortunate Ahimbisibwe and Ganzi Muhanguzi
27 August 2008
Orombi — Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi yesterday asked Church leaders to mediate between the Government and Buganda Kingdom over the proposed Land Amendment Bill.
Nsibambi was yesterday speaking at the 19th Provincial Assembly of the Church of Uganda at the Uganda Christian University, Mukono.
Over 30 bishops from the Anglican Church and 100 delegates from 32 dioceses are meeting to discuss the future of the Church, the Church House project and other challenges including homosexuality.
"I wish to point out that there is a major misunderstanding between the Buganda Kingdom and the central government concerning the Land Bill.
"I call upon the archbishop and the bishops to mediate between the two parties. To do so, the religious leaders must read and understand the Bill and the proposed amendments," he said.
Nsibambi said he had asked land minister Omara Atubo to provide copies of the Bill to all Church leaders.
The Government says the Bill is to protect peasants from unjustified evictions by wealthy landlords, while Buganda says it is a ploy to grab the land. Nsibambi asked the clergy to fight homosexuality.
"One challenge is the vice of homosexuality in our own institutions and families. How ready are we to deal with homosexuality in our schools and universities alongside the global crisis in the Anglican Church?" he asked.
He commended Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi for fighting homosexuality. He urged the clergy to assist the Government end the burning of schools.
Nsibambi said religious education would not be scrapped from the syllabus. "We could not make religious education compulsory because that way, it can be resented. Religion is sacrosanct and we do not have to force it on people," he stated.
Orombi called on the state to step up the fight against corruption among government officials.
"Ugandans expect the Government to implement the reports of commissions of inquiry that were conducted at great expense to the taxpayers," Orombi said.
He also called upon the security organs to respect human rights, saying the recent arrests of Buganda officials was arbitrary.
Orombi repeated his stand against homosexuality. While acknowledging Canterbury as an historic See, Orombi said the Archbishop of Canterbury had no jurisdiction over the Ugandan Province.
"When he acts contrary to the Word of God, we resist because we know he is wrong."
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