Learning by Doing...

Solomon Muwanguzi is a Child Development student at ARU. Currently students are on holiday and required to complete a 10 week internship in their field of study before the next term begins. Solomon was placed at a local primary school to get some hands on experience with children. 

Early on Solomon noticed that the children did not have a playground. During their breaks they just ran around in a field without any tools or sports equipment. So he asked the school for a bag of nails.

With a bag of nails in hand Solomon chopped down a few trees and build a playground from the ground up with the bag of nails, a few tree branches and whatever scraps of material he could find around the school. 

 I cannot tell you how exciting this is to see one of our students practicing stewardship with his time, talents and whatever material he had at his disposal. Solomon didn't focus on what the school didn't have... he looked at what the school needed and made it possible through what little he was given.

 And do you see the results... look how excited those children are!

Way to go Solomon! It is such an encouragement to see you using the knowledge you have received to serve the children in our community!

Witchcraft on the grave of Christian martyrs

The Uganda Martyrs day is one of the strongest evidence that syncretism is the number one setback of Christianity in Uganda. With 3 million "Christians" gathered in one place it is the biggest Christian gathering of the year...If Jesus went to Namugongo...what do you think he would do?...I think he would only go to overturn tables and chase the money changers.

At the root of the problem facing Christianity in Uganda is a double standard life where people mix traditional culture and Christianity. People cloth old religious beliefs with a Christian dress. People profess Christ but live everyday lives using traditional practices. This explains why Uganda is 83% Christian yet one of the most corrupt nations on earth. Many are Christians on the surface and traditionalists deep inside.

This week we celebrated the Uganda martyrs day and over 3 million “Christians” gathered to celebrate the life of these martyrs. The Uganda Martyrs day is the strongest evidence proving the mixture of Christianity and traditional witch craft practices. People walk on foot all the way from Nairobi (650km), Kabale (450 km), Gulu (300km), all in the name of expressing their love for God and seeking answers to their questions, with the hope that their walking will manipulate God to give them what they want, without genuinely believing in him. It takes weeks and days to reach their final destination, the site of the murder of 39 Ugandan Christians in 1886. These were killed by Kabaka Mwanga for their faith in Jesus. They were killed in cold blood, the youngest about 12 years walked into the fire without being tied. They had committed their life to Jesus and rejected mixing traditional demonic practices with Christianity. The very practices the martyrs opposed and hence died for are the very practices displayed at the scene of their murder.  None of the martyrs would have in their life time. worshipped anyone who died for Christ. They saw Christ as the only person to live and die for. If the martyrs were in Namugongo this week, they would have torn their garments at the sound of those who hailed them and would have urged them to worship God alone.

There were long lines that stretched about 5 kms with “Christians” struggling to get “holy” water from the site. The belief is that it will heal them. How different is this from witchcraft? People collect soil from the site and carry it home with the hope that it will heal them. How different is this from witchcraft? People go to pray through these Christian “ancestors” with the hope that God will answer their prayers. How different is this from witchcraft?

Witchcraft is worshipping creation rather than the Creator.  This is besides the drunkenness, immoral sex orgies and dancing. It is on record that the police jails around the shrine are most occupied during Martyrs celebrations. This year alone over 70 petty thieves were arrested, about 15 0 drunken drivers were taken to the police jails. There are mobile bars set up, mobile disco’s set up, and mobile distilleries set up. Live pigs are taken to be slaughtered for roasting. Sadly this is the largest Christian gathering of the year with over 3 million gathered in one place. In Uganda, there is no larger Christian gathering. Could this be because the church is not answering the questions that Ugandans are asking? These are questions concerning illness, misfortune and fear of spirits.

If Jesus was to go to Namugongo, I believe he would only go to over turn tables and chase away the money changers. This is because Jesus is no longer the center of the celebration. It has been turned into a big festive party instead of a worship service. At Africa Renewal University where leaders are trained for the transformation of society, we believe that Christ must be the center of every thing we do. Let him who has ears hear.

Media Siege in Uganda: The real question behind it...

The question is not whether or not there is freedom of speech in Uganda. The question is, now that there is no freedom of speech in Uganda. What next? How shall we hold our leaders accountable?

With the recent media siege that involved the closure of the two top “objective” media houses in Uganda, lots of questions have been raised. Is there freedom of speech in Uganda? Will the media houses report objectively? Who will speak for the oppressed Ugandans? Are all the other media houses state controlled? Are Ugandans free to say what they want within their country? Is current government falling apart? Is media freedom a threat to the current government’s existence?  I believe that these are surface level questions that will lead us on an endless rabbit trail; they do not answer the fundamental question that is at the root of Uganda’s problem.

There is an Acholi proverb that states, “When the beat changes, so does the dance.” The beat in Uganda has changed, so what next? Shall we dance to the music or not? Will the government determine what pastors say at the pulpit? Will pastors speaking against government evils be silenced? Will churches that speak against the evil in government be closed? Will church leaders emulate this by chasing away whoever speaks against them? Will the police continue to be used as a means of suffocating freedom of speech? Shall Britain and America continue donating money to fund this type of “freedom”? The music has changed, what happens to the dance?

After all is said and done, I believe the root question in all this is, “HOW WILL WE HOLD OUR LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE? Without accountability we are building on sinking sand. How will we hold our leaders accountable without the freedom of speech? How will we hold our leaders accountable in the 3^rd most corrupt country in Africa? How will we hold our leaders accountable in a country where over 1 million children die every year from Malaria? How will we hold our leaders accountable in a country where 16 women die each day in child labor? How will we hold our leaders accountable in a country with an unemployment rate of 84%? Ironically we are 83% “Christian”. What lessons on accountability are we teaching our children in a country were 56% of the population is below the age of 15 years?

I believe in all this the key question is. HOW SHALL WE HOLD OUR LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE? For this reason one of our core values at Africa Renewal University is accountability. Uganda needs leaders that are accountable. I Rest my case.

Kilama Dennis

Co- Department Head, Africa Renewal University

Pastor Lugogo Baptist Church

Freedome of Speech?

Today the Daily Monitor... a popular Ugandan newspaper... re-opened after a 10 day siege by the Ugandan police. The Daily Monitor is the second most popular newspaper in Uganda... but it is unique in that it is not owned by the government.

So why was a public newspaper shut down for 10 days which were filled with protests, violence and out cries from Human Rights agencies around the globe?

Because an article was written about a government plan to assassinate senior army and government officials who opposed the plan for the President's son to succeed him in office.

Talk about looking guilty... they should have just laughed and ignored the story...

Unless it is true!

Ever since the deadly "Walk to Work" protests of April 2011... which no one heard about since the world news was only covering Will and Kate's Wedding... I have been shocked to see the escalating abuse of power in Uganda... it seems that anyone who writes, says or even thinks negatively about the President or his government will be arrested, beaten or removed from their position...

We talk about the leadership crisis in Uganda at ARU all the time with staff and student... this last week was just further proof of the great need to train leaders to share the compassion of Christ and hope of the Gospel in the midst of pain and suffering!