President Yoweri Museveni has said the cutting off of donor aid to religious institutions over rejecting homosexuality in Uganda has forced churches into seeking other ways of self-sustenance.
The President was on Wednesday 29th July 2015 speaking at the Presidential fundraising dinner for the Church House Project at State House Entebbe the “I am happy to be here to fundraise for the Church House. I am very happy to note that the Churches are going through a re- birth. You are going through self-sustenance,” he said noting that it was good that organizations supporting homosexuals did good to cut aid to Uganda after it rejected their vice because it has enabled them to become self-reliant.
The Church House project is estimated to cost US $ 16.3 million. It has an outstanding balance of US $ 3.47 million. The dinner was blessed by several dignitaries including, the Archbishop of Kampala Cyprian Kizito Lwanga and the former Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi.
The executive director SMUG Dr. Frank Mugisha however says “Politics in Uganda is mixed with religion and this is a time when many politicians will be going to churches to seek support for their political aspirations for Presidential and Parliamentary elections coming up in 2016. It is our call to all politicians not only the president to stop using LGBTI rights for their own political popularity because such anti-gay sentiments from politicians cause so much harm to the LGBTI Ugandans .”
Donors cut off aid to the inter-religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) over Uganda’s anti-gay law. IRCU is a grouping of religious denominations including, Uganda Episcopal Conference –representing the Catholic Church, Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Church of Uganda, Uganda Orthodox Church, Seventh Day Adventist Church and Pentecostal Movement.
The President said that the Churches have made a lot of progress with the Catholic Church recently completing the construction of Mapera House in Kampala city. He said that in future the State would be able to support the Catholic Church, Church of Uganda, the Pentecostals and Muslim faith to create a financial base for sustainability.
Pesident Museveni commended the Church of Uganda leaders and congregation for their commitment to complete the construction of Church House and thanked the guests for contributing towards project.
He pledged a donation of 400 million shillings. The event raised 687 million shillings in both cash and pledges.
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stanley Ntagali saluted President Museveni for supporting the Church project. He reminded the guests that during the ground-breaking ceremony the President contributed another Shs 400 million. He thanked him for maintaining peace, security and justice in the country. Ntagali thanked the President for hosting them to the dinner and said their target is to commission the project in December 2015.
