As other countries are uplifting the restrictions concerning the closure of churches, Uganda still suspends religious gatherings to prevent COVID-19.
Majority of Pentecostal church leaders have vowed to pull out their vote for president Museveni if the churches remain closed.
The head of born again Pentecostal faith in the country, Pastor Joseph Serwadda has cautioned president Museveni that he could lose support from Christians in the 2021 presidential elections if churches remain closed.
“But like in all situations like this, there are always unintended consequences, and for Museveni, one of them could be a decline in support from this bloc. People here are thankful for the government measures but they are also saying, we have to go back to church. We have to worship again.” Serwadda stated.
He adds, “We all know that the president is doing this with good intentions, he wants us all to be safe and he has kept us safe. We haven’t lost a single person to the virus.
On 18th March 2020 during an address to the nation, Museveni ordered for the closure of schools and suspended religious gatherings across the country for a month as a way to curb the pandemic.
Also, Bishop David Kiganda of Christianity Focus Center in Ndeeba went ahead to protest the closure of churches on social media while wearing sackcloth with words “I can’t breath when Churches still closed.”
He says, ‘If Gods house remains closed, we shall have no other option but to put on sackcloths as a sign of lamentation for our government nation, which seems to be Provoking Gods bitter wrath of ingratitude.'
However, in countries like Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta has taken measures to re-open churches and other places of worship in the country with a maximum of 100 people.
“Churches are open for congregational and individual worship in strict conformity with all applicable guidelines in protocol and self-regulation that have been developed by the Inter-faith council. A religious council that was appointed on the national response of the corona pandemic.”Uhuru mentioned during a nation address at the Harambee House on Monday 6, July 2020.
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