The Minister for Karamoja Affairs John Byabagambi has asked relevant government authorities to arrest pentecostal church pastors for expoiting their sheep describing them as evil.
Mr Byabagambi who bitterly criticised Pentecostal churches generally pointed out Prophet Samuel Kakande the head of The Synagogue Church of all Nations, Uganda, situated at Mulago.
The minister who was officiating at the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of School of Nursing at Bishop Stuart University, Ruharo Campus in Mbarara District on Wednesday said that said government must arrest church leaders exploiting desperate Ugandans.
Mr Byabagambi wondered why some pastors ask for money before praying for their sheep adding that the recent introduction of “holy rice” by Prophet Kakande is intended to exploit his innocent followers.
He wondered how rice that is grown in Uganda can be holy as if it has fallen from heaven.
“These churches are operating in an exploitative way and government should arrest them and interrogate them. You have heard them telling their followers to bring a tenth of their wealth and we pray for you. Then they started selling rice, saying this is holy rice yet it is grown in Masindi and Kiryandongo,” the minister said.
He did also not have kind words for those selling water claiming that it is water that brings blessings.
“Someone sells water, which we all know is from a spring or underground but you see people lining up with jerry cans. These are the exploitative churches I am talking about. They have diverted from the mission of preaching the gospel and now I can say they are preaching evil because if they can exploit God’s people, then I can compare them with evil,” said Mr Byabagambi.
The background
The media has been awash with news that Prophet Kakande had introduced holy rice with a kilogramme being sold at Shs50,000 a kilogramme. This prompted Ugandans online to create memes to mock the development.
Also last week, Pastor Robert Kayanja the founder and Senior Pastor of the Miracle Centre Cathedral in Kampala asked President Museveni to ensure that government pays 10 percent of the national budget as tithe.
