KOLOLO.
President Museveni has commended the Church for what he described as a significant transformation from being part of the problem to now being a cornerstone of peace, responsibility and spiritual progress in Uganda.
He made the remarks today while officially closing the Light Up Uganda for Jesus Mission Convention at Kololo Independence Grounds.
The five-day spiritual gathering, which began on May 19th, 2025, was hosted by Pastor Patience Rwabwogo, the Lead pastor of Covenant Nations Church, under the theme: “The Crossing”.
The convention drew thousands of faithful from across the country for prayer, worship, and a renewed call to national transformation through faith.
The day’s preaching was delivered by guest speaker Bishop LaDonna Osborn, who emphasized peace, leadership responsibility, and togetherness among Ugandans.
Drawing from Philippians 4:5 and Ephesians 2:10, she reminded the nation’s leaders and citizens alike of their divine purpose.
“We are His workmanship, urging all believers to live out their calling with love and unity,” she declared.
The convention also included powerful intercessory prayers specifically dedicated to the Central Region, focusing on spiritual revival, social healing, and national stability.
President Museveni who was accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education , Janet said: “I congratulate Patience and her church for this great effort, and I will say why later.”
He emphasized that for a long time, churches and religious institutions had contributed to divisions within Uganda and elsewhere, citing historical examples of sectarianism.
“I want to congratulate the churches because it seems you are improving. Remember, the churches were part of the problem in Europe and certainly here in Uganda. Because of narrow-mindedness, both the churches and the Muslims were part of the problem,” he said.
President Museveni reflected on Uganda’s past, where religion was a basis for political affiliation during the 1962 elections, leading to entrenched divisions.
“One party was for the Catholics, another for the Protestants, and another for the Baganda. The peace we are enjoying in Uganda now is because we rejected that rubbish,” he said.
The President also credited the National Resistance Movement (NRM) for refusing to adopt the divisive politics of religious denominations and emphasized Africa’s deep roots and resilient societies that existed long before the arrival of foreign religions.
“African societies are ancient four and a half million years old. Islam came in 1841, Anglicanism in 1877, and Catholicism in 1879. Yet within ten years, they were already fighting each other using guns: Protestants backed by England, Catholics by France, and Muslims by Turkey,” he said.
The President urged religious leaders to acknowledge both the positive and negative aspects of tradition, pointing out that not everything inherited should be accepted.
“We rejected homosexuality, so you can’t say all traditional practices are correct. You must sift the good from the bad,” he said.
He expressed deep personal joy over the role of Pastor Patience, who became the first preacher in his (President Museveni) family.
“I am very happy with Patience. She is the first preacher in our family. The missionaries came to our area in 1877. My great-grandfather didn’t join the church, nor did my grandfather.
It was only my father, my mother, and I who joined in 1947. This is the first time we have a pastor in the family. I’m looking forward to seeing her become a bishop. Maama is also very happy,” he said.
The President thanked Bishop Osborn and the wider religious community for their spiritual leadership and moral clarity in an age of growing Western influence.
“We are very grateful for their spiritual contribution and their friendship. In the West, homosexuals had taken over some churches.
So, we value this friendship and will work together to push forward the progress of our countries and the work of God. God bless you,” he said.
On her part, the First Lady also hailed Pastor Patience for her unwavering commitment to God’s call, describing her as a faithful servant whose obedience is shaping the spiritual direction of Uganda.
“I congratulate and thank you, Patience, for your willingness to listen to the Lord and follow through with the instructions you hear,” Maama Janet said.
“You are fulfilling what the Lord wants to be done at this particular time and in this particular place,” she said.
“This theme brings tears to my eyes, I believe we are at a destiny-defining moment in our nation’s history,” the First Lady added.
Welcoming the American evangelist Bishop Osborn, Maama Janet shared a deeply personal testimony of how her spiritual journey began through LaDonna’s mother, the late Dr. Daisy Osborn.
“She led me through the sinner’s prayer and left me with a book that repeated it. That encounter opened my heart to the knowledge of God and changed my life forever. Consequently, all our children were introduced to that same knowledge,” she recalled.
She described the Osborn family as “friends of Uganda when Uganda had very few friends” and said the seeds they planted through evangelism have outlived them.
“That Bishop LaDonna Osborn is our guest speaker today is not a coincidence. It is a divine orchestration.”.
Pastor Patience gave a deeply emotional reflection on what she called a “life-altering encounter with the Lord,” declaring that Uganda is witnessing a season of divine restoration and healing.
“We started in Masindi, and the Lord led us here. Everywhere He sent us there has been healing, deliverance, restoration, forgiveness. This week, we encountered God in this land. We are forever changed,” she said.
Pastor Patience described the atmosphere as one thick with the presence of God, a week marked by breakthroughs that words could barely contain.
“It’s hard to capture in words what has transpired. Words can’t do justice to what God has done. From Monday, we didn’t know what to expect, but the Lord has gone beyond our expectations,” she added.
She described the spiritual tone of the week as one of deep deliverance and emotional healing.
In attendance were also religious leaders, including, Rev. Canon Michael Lubowa, Bishop of Central Buganda Diocese, Bishop David Kiganda, Pastor Jackson Ssenyonga, Pastor Robert Kayanja, Dr. Joseph Sserwadda, among others.