Bishop Ssemogerere blames poverty on greedy, selfish leaders

Luwero, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Rt. Rev. Paul Ssemogerere, the Bishop of Kasana-Luwero Catholic diocese and overseer of Kampala Archdiocesan Overseer has blasted leaders who are busy sharing the country’s natural resources at the expense of the citizenry.     

According to Bishop Ssemogerere, although Uganda is endowed with natural resources, the majority of the citizenry is languishing in poverty. Bishop Ssemogerere attributes this predicament to the unequitable distribution of the national cake.

He said this while commissioning the Shillings 150 million St. Lucia Zikusooka Nkondo-Kalule Business Hub during his maiden public appearance in Luweero, following his appointment as the Kampala Archdiocesan Apostolic Administrator last Thursday.   

According to Bishop Ssemogerere, many people have the capacity to own such a Business Hub built by Erasmus Musisi, the Treasurer of the Laity in Kasana-Luweero Diocese but those in authority have failed to lift them out of poverty.

The Luweero Woman MP-elect, Brenda Nabukenya, said the problem is worsened by nepotism.

Robert Ssekitooleko, the Bamunanika MP-elect also noted that if sharing the national cake was just, Luweero district, which played a historical role in ushering in the current regime could be more development. 

The State of Uganda Population Report 2018 by the National Population Council, indicates that poverty levels went up in all regions. It also showed that more Ugandans had become poorer in the last five years before 2018.

The report says poverty levels across the country rose from 19.7 per cent to 21.7 per cent between 2012/2013 and 2016/2017 financial years respectively.

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