Vice President Maj Gen (Rtd) Jessica Alupo and former Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Rebecca Kadaga have led the launch and opening of the fourth Busoga Prayer Week, with leaders calling on the region to overcome divisions and unite around its development agenda.
Vice President Alupo launched the Prayer Week at Nile Resort Hotel in Jinja, while Kadaga later joined religious and political leaders at All Saints Cathedral, Nakasero, Kampala, for the opening prayers.
The week-long programme, running from September 21 to 27, is being held under the theme “Let Us Rise Up and Build Busoga,” drawn from Nehemiah 2:18.
The initiative brings together the Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim, Pentecostal and Seventh-day Adventist faiths for a series of prayers across Jinja and Mayuge, before the main regional gathering in Mayuge on Sunday.
‘Identify what is holding Busoga back’
Leading the prayers at All Saints Cathedral, Rt Rev Fredrick Jackson Baalwa, Assistant Bishop of Kampala, challenged Busoga leaders to identify the barriers that continue to prevent the region from rebuilding.
Bishop Baalwa said the theme of rising up to rebuild Busoga required leaders to first confront the issues that divide them.
He urged leaders to put aside their differences, saying disunity is one of the barriers that could undermine the region’s efforts to move forward.
The Bishop called on leaders to concentrate on areas of common interest and work together for the benefit of the people.
Eight areas for transformation
The Director General of the Busoga Consortium for Development, Dr Anthony Mula, said this year’s Prayer Week is also being used to focus attention on eight areas considered critical to the transformation of the region.
The areas include prayer for transformation, agriculture, health and tourism, alongside other priorities under the Busoga development agenda.
Dr Mula rallied leaders, communities and development partners to support the initiatives, saying the region’s development requires collective ownership.
He said prayer provides the spiritual foundation, but practical interventions in key sectors are necessary to improve livelihoods and advance the development agenda.
‘Who is bewitching Busoga?’
The call for a change in mindset was echoed by Hon Kisa Steven, Chairperson of the Prayer Week Organising Committee and Member of Parliament for Luuka South.
Mr Kisa challenged Basoga to abandon what he described as the “syndrome of who is bewitching Busoga”, saying such thinking can prevent communities from taking responsibility for the challenges facing the region.
He urged leaders and communities to move away from blame and focus on identifying solutions to the problems affecting Busoga.
Mr Kisa said rebuilding the region requires collective responsibility and cooperation among leaders and communities.
Prayer must be followed by action
State Minister for Housing and Vice Chairperson of the Busoga Ministerial Committee, Princess Persis Namuganza, said prayer must be accompanied by practical action.
“Prayer bears fruit when accompanied by action,” Namuganza said.
She urged Basoga to support programmes aimed at creating jobs, improving livelihoods and increasing household incomes.
Namuganza said the Prayer Week should provide an opportunity for the people to seek God’s guidance while renewing their commitment to the development of the region.
Leaders credit unity
The Bishop of East Busoga Diocese, Rt Rev Hanington Suubi, said growing unity among leaders is one of the notable outcomes associated with the Prayer Week.
Bishop Suubi said cooperation among leaders had helped change the image of Busoga and restore a sense of pride among its people.
He urged leaders to sustain the cooperation and use it to address the region’s development challenges.
The Third Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Rukia Isanga Nakadama, also commended Busoga leaders for their contribution to development.
Nakadama said the development being witnessed in the region is among the fruits of unity and collective effort.
She urged leaders to maintain the spirit of cooperation beyond the Prayer Week and focus on initiatives aimed at improving household incomes, creating opportunities and strengthening communities.
Faith and development
Minister for the Presidency Milly Babirye Babalanda called on leaders and the people of Busoga to participate in the week-long prayers.
Babalanda said the Prayer Week has connected the region’s spiritual aspirations with its development agenda and urged Basoga to use the occasion to strengthen unity and renew their commitment to building the region.
The prayers will continue in Jinja and Mayuge through the different denominations, including Anglican prayers at Bugembe Cathedral, Catholic prayers at Our Lady of Fatima Church, Orthodox prayers in Jinja, Muslim prayers at Masjid Jamia in Mayuge, Pentecostal prayers at Bethel Worship Centre, and Seventh-day Adventist prayers at Jinja SDA Central Church.
The week will climax on Sunday, September 27, at Mayuge District Headquarters, where the main regional prayer gathering will be held. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is expected to be the Chief Guest.
As the different faith communities take turns to pray, the message emerging from the opening of the Prayer Week is that rebuilding Busoga will require more than prayer. Leaders say it will also require unity, a change in mindset and collective action to translate the region’s development agenda into better livelihoods for its people.
