Masuliita Church built in recognition of liberation struggle

President Yoweri Museveni has called on Ugandans to embrace commercial farming as a sure method towards household poverty eradication.

The President made the call yesterday in Masuliita, Wakiso during the commissioning and hand-over ceremony of the new Masuliita Church of Uganda Parish church building.

The new structure was built in recognition of the contribution by the people of Masuliita towards the then National Resistance Army’s (NRA) struggle in the liberation war of 1981 – 1986.

The Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) soldiers who occupied the old Church during the protracted armed people’s struggle damaged the old church structure that was commissioned in 1968.

The Bishop Emeritus of Mukono Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Paulo Luzinda, who was the main celebrant, represented Bishop Kityo Luwalira of Namirembe Diocese at yesterday’s occasion.

“I pay tribute to the people of Masuliita, Luweero and those from other parts of Uganda for their contribution during the struggle. The NRM was disorganized by people such as Kiiza Besigye and Amama Mbabazi who never sensitized wananchi over the developments in the country during their tenure in office,” the President said.  He observed that NRM won the struggle because it set up the correct priorities from the start.

He cautioned the new NRM Secretariat officials against failure to deliver services to the people and warned that they would be terminated from office if they fall short of expectations.

President Museveni gave testimony to the congregation and guests present regarding their experiences during the liberation struggle of 1981- 1986. He made particular reference to events in Kakiri and Masuliita in Wakiso district that laid part of the foundation to the struggle. He used the occasion took to introduce a good number of war veterans who played leading roles during the bush war. He commended them for their heroic acts that enabled Uganda attain peace. He paid glowing tribute to the late Ms. Naalima of Masuliita for her active role.

Museveni said their first priority was to ensure national peace and security through the defeat of retrogressive forces like the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). He added that the Government also had to attract investors in order to promote the national tax base to enable government handle a host of projects such as infrastructure development.

On the poverty fight, the President said that the NRM is promoting household incomes through the Operation Wealth Creation. He more plantings and breeding materials would be supplied to benefit all the people, stressing that every home must have income generation activities through cash crops and livestock rearing.

He urged Ugandans to engage in cost effective enterprises with a view to earning good money. He expressed confidence that they would meet the set target of poverty eradication in a manner similar to that that led to victory in the protracted armed people’s liberation struggle.

President Museveni pledged to build the Mawale – Dambo – Kakiri road to serve the people and also as a memory of the protracted people’s struggle. He assured them that since the NRM Government has acquired new road construction equipment, that arrangement would enable districts throughout the country to work on feeder roads.

State Minister for Teso Affairs, Hon. Amongin Aporu Christine Hellen, on behalf of Luweero TriangleMinister, reported that President Museveni has fulfilled the national motto ‘For God and My Country’ through the building of Masuliita Church while Bishop Paul Luzinda lauded the President for the generosity in putting up the structure.

Brig. Proscovia Nalweyiso, who is Senior Presidential Assistant on Defence and Security, thanked President Museveni for his gesture of building a place of worship for the people of Masuliita. She revealed that she personally supervised the construction works that took 4 months, cost Shs.487 million.

Lt. Col. Jacob Asiimwe, one of the liberation war fighters, revealed that the fighters who worked closely with the people in April 1981 made big strides in the attack on Kakiri barracks. He said that UNLA soldiers who pitched their camp in the premises damaged the old church.