Kampala — IMMORALITY is a giant killer. Its heartbreak is too devastating to underestimate. In Uganda, its casualties include the family - that age-old indispensable institution as far as human civilisation is concerned. Traditionally, a family comprises a man and woman or man, woman and children.

The stability of every nation as well as the peaceful coexistence among nationals, to a large extent, depends on the state of health of the family. The family is the strength of our faith and God's original plan for manifestation of love, unity and procreation. It is the foundation of society, the basis of individual responsibility and the building block for character.

It is the starting point for generations and strength of the nation. It is the centre of each life and determinant of thought patterns and establishment of people's dreams. It is the strength of valiant men and starting point for destiny. It is the pruning ground for integrity and springboard for self esteem. It is the mirror of history and inheritance and starting point for excellence. Last but not least, it is the example of order, authority and provision of experience.

There is no other institution I know of that commands this stature! When the family is threatened, implications of this go far beyond what one can imagine.

Sadly, in our beloved Uganda this eminent position of the family is under threat. Discord and unhappiness are frequent visitors of the family institution in many Ugandan homes. Divorce and separation are also ravaging this God-instituted institution.

The attempt to redefine the family incontrovertibly contradicts the very core of fundamental universal beliefs in the sanctity of the perpetuation of the family; beliefs that have been the bedrock of African culture and spirituality for thousands of years.

Clearly, this attempt amounts to a rebellion against God's order since it seeks to put a stop to human procreation. The soul of individual nations is being ferociously contested by those opposed to the order of nature philosophy.

They have gone the full hog in trumpeting the human rights cliché and are threatening with 'punishment' everyone else who does not espouse their way. For them, it is no longer, 'one man's meat may be another man's poison' adage, it is that you are damned if you do not do what they say, never mind whether or not it is in accordance with God's values.

As a result, majority of Ugandans are asking what has gone wrong that suddenly our beloved country is under attack from the combined weight of a coterie of vices. Something eerie is hovering over our nation. Is it because we are flouting God's values in specific facets of our national life which is then leading to a kind of mathematical law of addition and multiplication of vices?

What should Ugandans do to stem the tide of immorality whose ability to negate all the gains the NRM Government has made so far is real? Two things need to be done.

One, it is for those of us who are in authority to call on the real God (not witchdoctors or ancestors) to address the state of mind of Ugandans.

Two, for Ugandans to fully grasp the enormity of immorality through applying our passion. God created us with emotions to have passion in our lives.

Passion is the creative force which is behind all great achievements of man. Yes, we need passion to ensure that Uganda is firmly anchored in the real God and in conditions of stability, peace and prosperity. We need passion to avoid dragging Uganda into the mire of instability as well as underdevelopment.

Nothing great is ever accomplished without passion. Nothing great is ever sustained in life without passion. Passion is what energises life. It makes the impossible possible. Without passion, life becomes boring, monotonous, routine and dull. It is what mobilises armies into action. It is what causes scientists to spend late night hours trying to find a cure to a dreaded disease. It is what turns a good athlete into a great one who then goes on to break records.

Yes, Ugandans need passion to protect the traditional family. We need passion to comprehensively reject corruption in particular and immorality in general. We need it to resuscitate checks and balances in our financial and management systems which are currently limping.

It is needed to free us from the triune of hypocrisy, double standards and lip-service with which many of us are saddled.

For we say we love Uganda or our political parties, but our actions (for example, stealing of public funds or being divisive) are hurtful of Uganda's or our parties' interests.

We need passion to be able to tell our 'friends' that our cultural and spiritual values are not for sale. Passion is the key that will unlock Uganda's real potential and unshackle us from the vestige of disunity and other weaknesses. Only then will Uganda be able to shine to a creditable status of more respect, stability, peace, strength and prosperity.

The writer is the Minister of Ethics and Integrity