President Yoweri Museveni has warned leaders against eroding God’s trust by engaging in corruption, which he said has caused instabilities in the past.
Museveni said while the African continent is taking its place in economic growth amidst the decline of powerful economies, such growth comes with temptations for leaders, who he said could ruin their chances if they don’t avoid corruption.
“I have seen for the last 60 years how people have been ruining their chances…do not be corrupt; don’t agree to take a bribe, don’t ask for it; I have never taken a bribe or accepted any bribe from anybody,” said Museveni.
Museveni was hosted by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga at the Pearl of Africa Hotel, Nakasero, for the annual National Prayer Breakfast which traditionally precedes Independence Day.
Speaker Kadaga made a call to conscience for the corrupt, saying they should give up their high life to accord basics to the poor.
“I just want to pray that in this country, those who sleep on mattresses of cash that they cannot consume, to release that money for the schools, the roads and the hospitals,” said Kadaga.
The Prayer Breakfast was this year held under the theme “the power of character in leadership”, with author of Seven Mountains Prophesy, Pastor Johnny Enlow, as keynote speaker.
Mr Enlow criticized the prevalent mode of preaching the gospel, which he said overemphasizes heavenly prosperity and neglects earthly needs of believers.
God, said Enlow, wishes the heavenly prosperity to be replicated here on earth, and not just in heaven alone.
“If the God of the universe comes and says ‘I want to help you inherit the planet; I want to help you inherit the Kingdom’, it means let the justice in heaven come to earth, let the education in heaven come here on earth, let the arts and entertainment, the economy, the way government functions, let it come to earth,” said Enlow.
His message excited Museveni, who has long pushed religious leaders to preach prosperity to their flocks.
Museveni advised Enlow to reduce his message into a pamphlet, which he said would be used to entrench the message.
Oversight, said Museveni, should be an individual initiative as opposed to working under the belief that there is somebody that is supposed to vet your actions.
“My advice to Africans, the oversight this time is God, it is not a Committee, it is not a Chairperson,” said Museveni, who weaved his talk around verses in the Bible and his guerrilla escapades when he shuttled between Tanzania and Uganda at the start of the war.
“Who would oversight a guerilla, where would the auditor come from,” said Museveni, in reference to the self-monitoring by the liberation movement leaders.
This is the 21st edition of the National Prayer Breakfast.