By Otim Nape
URA boss Doris Akol, who is understandably under a lot of pressure from President Yoweri Museveni to widen the tax base and increase tax collection, has insisted that 18% VAT will have to be imposed on materials for religious instruction (the Koran, Bible and Hymn books). It’s all in today Tuesday’s Daily Monitor. The latest developments risk causing the Pentecostal movement leaders to either begin making public statements disapproving their renowned ally Museveni or risk being exposed for the hypocritical cowards some have always considered them to be. Big name Pentecostal preachers like Ps Robert Kayanja, Bishop Joseph Serwadda, David Kigganda and others have always prophesied being great men of the word leaving their flock no option but to perceive them to be the modern day Elijahs of the Old Testament era. Perceived by their flocks to be higher spiritual leaders, the Pentecostal pastors have always preached in a way that renders traditional faith groups’ leaders irrelevant and now is the moment of reckoning for them. Now is the time for them to show leadership by doing or even saying what Biblical great men of God, like Prophet Elijah (he who faced King Ahab) and Jesus Christ himself, would do or say if they ministered in today’s Uganda. They have always kept a blind eye to (and even acquiesced to) the evil done by our modern day political leaders fallaciously referring to the Biblical scriptures to keep telling their flock all is well. There are challenges but the fact remains Museveni is God sent, the Pentecostal Pastors (almost in a conspiratory manner) have always told their flock in Church and on TV. Even when there plenty of things that Elijah or even Jesus Christ (on whose inspiration they purport to preach and minister) would have abhorred, these flamboyant preachers have always buried their heads in sand. Bishop Serwadda, who insists being the overall Born Again leader in Uganda, has always preached that Museveni remains the best compared to Amin who had banned Pentecostal Christian congregations (not sure this is even true). And now is the moment; the state has insisted on doing something very constraining to poor worshippers and it’s not very different from what Serwadda accuses Amin of. This tax, which CoU Commissioner Canon Joram Kahenano unambiguously says risks increasing the cost of Christian books by an average of Shs3000, will no doubt diminish many poor Ugandans’/Christians’ capability to afford the Bible and other Christian materials yet the Serwaddas/the Kayanjas always insist on every Christian possessing and routinely reading their Bible. Will they give leadership they have always claimed to be here for on the command of the sovereign God? What is their God (who equally spoke to Elijah) now saying? What is He commanding them to do or say in response to Akol’s resolve to enforce the 18% on Bible purchases? The URA boss, who has already started biting by forcing the CoU recently to part with VAT of Shs8.9m for Christian books’ consignment, maintains it has always been a mistake for URA not to levy the 18% on transactions involving such Christian materials. We eagerly await to hear Bishop Serwadda, Ps Kayanja and others curiously tell their flocks that their God says this is good for the Church since it’s the same God who put Museveni in power. It won’t be surprising hearing some Pentecostal preachers say its okay after all it’s not a lot of money. “Our God had abundantly provided,” many less sophisticated Pastors will predictably say. The other day something even more frightening happened in nearby Rwanda (Churches becoming too many and the state shut down close to 1,000) and the faithful are still waiting to hear Presiding Apostle Serwadda (who insists is the overall leader of the Pentecostals in Uganda) say something similar to what Elijah or even Jesus Christ would have said once faced with similar circumstances. Maybe it’s too early. One could call it interference since Rwanda is another sovereign country but now here is another opportunity for Apostle Serwadda (or anybody claiming better divine calling and leadership credentials than his) to give leadership by fearlessly and unambiguously rebuking the state over it’s insistence on this tax levy the way Elijah or any other prolific Biblical prophet would have. The vague ambiguous statements the Serwaddas have been used to making won’t suffice anymore. The new situation at hand requires unambiguous condemnation or approval. Neutrality (between right and wrong) won’t do it anymore. Already the Anglican Church’s Stanley Ntagali has clearly pronounced himself as well as Muslims whose (UMSC SG) Ramadhan Mugalu have already drawn a line in the sand very unambiguously. And this doesn’t amount to politicizing the Church or ministry work as some opportunistic Pentecostal preachers will predictably say in the coming days and weeks. It’s expected to be a prolonged debate and we eagerly await to see the Serwaddas, who have always claimed higher calling to give spiritual leadership (than their Muslim, Catholic and Anglican counterparts), contradict themselves by continuing their obscurity simply because of opportunism and fear to make the state uncomfortable. If there are any credible leaders out there in the Pentecostal movement, this new Akol position is a God sent opportunity for such leaders to clearly emerge and distinguish themselves as serious rather than sheer opportunism they have always been accused of. It’s time to consistently speak, on conviction and unambiguously. This is no longer a matter of Besigye, Lukwago, Winnie Kizza, the opposition, the Buganda kingdom or Makerere University lectures or even medical doctors antagonizing the state. The fight has clearly, in black and white, been brought to their (Pastors’) backyard and ambivalence won’t do. It’s time to manifest Godly leadership on this matter, fearlessly and selflessly so just like the scriptures require of them. It’s an opportunity to prove their skeptics wrong by coming out to give decisive and clear leadership like never before. It’s certain the Catholic Church will predictably and spontaneously speak in favor of what is good for ministry work. Of all the faith-based groups it’s you the Pentecostal leaders now on trial more than any other group. We hope you prevail, emerge even stronger and won’t be found wanting. For comments, call/text/whatsapp us on 0703164755!
