President Yoweri Museveni has urged Ugandans to keep calm with regard to the recent spate of organized incidences of abductions and murders in urban areas saying that the vice will be decisively be defeated like the case was with the Kony insecurity, cattle rustling in Karamoja and terrorism.
“I want to assure you that this problem of urban crime will be defeated,” he said adding that the murderers of the late Suzan Magara have been apprehended.
He said that crime in townships has increased because of the population explosion. He, however, gave assurances that the government is committed to the installation of closed circuit camera surveillance systems in towns and on streets where means of capturing criminal acts will be available.
The President was today speaking at the Thanksgiving ceremony of the Minister for Kampala City Authority, Hon. Betty Kamya. The occasion was also held to mark the 85th birthday of Margaret Kamya, mother to the Minister and to commemorate the life of the Minister’s late father, Col George Wilson Kamya, who died in 1973 as well as the life of Minister Kamya’s late husband, Spencer Turwomwe who passed on 15 years ago.
The ceremonies were jointly organized to fundraise for the construction of Mackay Martyrs’ Church at Wakaliga, Nateete in Kampala to which effort Mr. Museveni contributed one billion shillings payable next financial year. Over Shs.3.2 billion is needed for the construction of the church.
The President urged Christians in the area to contribute to the construction of the church building that should serve as a monument in commemoration of Alexander Mackay who established the first Church in the area when Church Missionary Society missionaries were introducing Christianity in Uganda. He said that religious sites should be treated the same way as historical installations.
Regarding the banishment of household poverty, President Museveni noted that though many Ugandans have listened to government call on what to do to fight poverty, some saboteurs have continued to preach divisive politics after those detractors’ failure to de-campaign NRM’s strategy to banish poverty. He urged the clergy to sensitize their followers to fight against household poverty.
“To the clergy, as you preach the gospel to the people, also sensitize the public to work hard to eradicate poverty. Working for miraculous wealth, where people tend to avoid the Biblical commandment to man to work and establish dominion over nature, is dangerous,” he warned.
Hon. Betty Kamya, on her part, commended the President for being an exemplary leader and mobilizer to all Ugandans.
“Be assured that the President has not coerced anyone to join him only that he is just such a good mobiliser,” she said. Kamya also made a contribution of 30 million shillings towards the construction of Mackay church.
Addressing the public at a stopover at Kitunzi zone market area in Lungujja, in Nateete, Mr. Museveni urged them to be focused and choose leaders who are committed to implementing national development goals.
“Those who choose wrong representation in leadership are prone to loosing out when it comes to implementing government development plans because their needs are not known,” he said. He gave Shs. 20 million to Kitunzi Market Women’s Group SACCO.
