By Michael Woira

We have shouted enough in your churches, we have praised you enough, we have flocked your sacred houses, we have even referred to you as our gods and yes, indeed you have also played your role, you have collected money from us and you are now loaded pastors sleeping in very expensive houses and we are still in our kafundas .The vulgarity that is being used by some senior citizens and our pastors isn’t appealing at all. As a society, we hold professionals to a high standard. They are expected to work in the best interests of vulnerable people and now some of our religious leaders have no respect for the people they lead.

When Jesus Christ, the earthly son of Jewish peasant Mary and carpenter Joseph comes again from the place we are taught and call heaven, you can be sure there will be stampede, chaos and tumult. Why? Because, the last time he was here, he caused “instability” in the socio-political and religious status quo, by not only making miracles of raising the dead, making the blind see, the lame walked but more seriously, he told off the representatives of the Roman Emperor, that the, Christ, the son of man, was not only a son of God, but One with God!.

When he was crucified, punished seriously on behalf of us all, he kept on calling the name of the almighty God who commanded him to do everything in his name, Jesus did not register any religion or organization called Catholicism, Protestantism, presibetereanism or the so much loved and cherished Savedism; He was circumcised, but not a Muslim, just like all Jews. So, Roman Catholics ,Anglican Protestants, Presbyterians, American Pentecostals with all their innumerable churches, and all these religious factions which have taken over what Jesus Christ firmly left for not only his Apostles and disciples ,but all humanity; Faith in the Christ that overturned tables and whipped vendors from the temple; the Christ that rebuked Pharisees and called  them vipers and hypocrites for fasting as a show to impress, when he comes, you can be sure he will be harsher than then, because at least then , believers were following the imperfect law  of Moses that preached “an eye for an eye.

Jesus Christ performed miracles to strengthen the wavering faith of his disciples and believers! Today, miracles have been a business, a trade! In our various Churches, an electronic preaching, street preachers, all promise miracles, but not free of charge! Just like it was in the 16 century before Martin Luther protested the sell of “indulgences “by some authorities of the then one, universal, Catholic Church, and gave birth to what we now have as the “Reformed Churches”!. So, miracles, which can now be procured, have replaced our faith and honest prayer to our makers in Heaven and we now have earthly gods in our Churches who arrogantly say what they feel like whoever hurting it is and we all clap for them or even say AMEN(Akitegedde kubila yesu engalo ezamanyi and we all clap cheering them).

What am I driving you to, am trying to let you know of what Jesus did that I expected to happened today but all is in the contrary because after all, most of our pastors preach and come up with all sorts of miracles, campaigns etc to capture the attention of the believers, Now I have been wondering all days why a very well recognized pastor with such a following can organize a day just to abuse, talk ill and preach about a woman that he once married in a very jovial happy religious setting.

 Has he just realized that he married a stupid woman as he calls her, as he just realized that he committed a sin to marry her as his wife? Has he just recognized that he married a woman who once suffered from Fistula? Is he a new Christian convert that he had not recognized that once you are married you become one at all times and in all situations? Can we salute him like his followers are doing because he is talking ill about the wife and mother to his children?

According to what I am seeing happen at some Churches, I now believe not any literate man or woman has the capacity and competence to understand and interpret the bible to be able to decipher and contextualize every verse, every chapter and every book of the 72 books from Genesis to Revelations. No wonder we are seeing people starting up Churches, based on personal interpretation of the bible? Today, anyone can become a preacher on the street, graduate into a pastor, start up a tarpaulin Church structure, gather Faithful’s, use some mysterious powers to make some miracles, and before you blink twice, you have all sorts of people heading there to “get healed “get a wife or husband, get a flourishing business, visas, scholarships and these people mysteriously get money to build a house “etc out of these followers.

It’s been quite some good time since ‘Pastor’ Bugingo and his family started throwing their dirty linen in the public and the pastor himself has from that time turned his family affairs as his Church sermons and in all church services he has to say a word or two about the wife or children painting them as the worst creatures he has met in his life. Let new love not make us forget what we were, where we have come from and what we are meant to be.

I personally feel uncomfortable at times when a female is disrespected, they are our mothers, our sisters, our wives but holding a microphone and telling people that you spent a lot of money treating someone’s fistula is being totally Hogwash, I even feel sorry for the new catch that he is praising now, doesn’t she think the same might happen to her with time? I really feel sad and mad at this man of god (not God because Godly people behave).

I am not being unfair or rude at anyone but some preachers are misleading their (lost sheep) as they normally refer them to because the issue of being so arrogant and disrespectful of a woman and a wife has really touched me the way it touched me and those who are born by women know how it feels if it was your mother that this pastor was bad mouthing. In my final submission on this, I trust that my evangelical Christian brothers and sisters, who love their man of God so much that they keep, cheering him and clapping whenever he abuses his family, kneel down and repent.

But anyway am not worthy to say what I have said above, but with faith and hope, you will all forgive me for asking us all not to commit errors in the name of God using church which is a very holy place which must be used for only issues that are spiritual. Be Blessed.

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By  Janat B. Mukwaya 

You may recall that Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, started the programme of labour externalization in 2005 with the purpose of reducing the unemployment burden. This has been implemented under The Employment (Recruitment of Ugandan Migrant Workers Abroad) Regulations, 2005.

On 26th June 2019, my Ministry together with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), represented by Minister, H. E. Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli, signed the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of Manpower and Domestic Worker Protocol in Kampala.

I wish to remind you that Uganda has already signed other two bilateral agreements on recruitment and Employment of Ugandan migrant workers with the Governments of Jordan 8th November, 2016 and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 27th December, 2017 (Agreement on Domestic Workers Recruitment) and 31st December 2017 (Agreement on General Workers Recruitment).

The signed MoU between the Government of Uganda and UAE offers protection to our Ugandan migrants in a number of ways, especially through: Strengthening cooperation by providing a legal framework for the employment of Manpower from Uganda in the UAE;Establishing a mechanism to discuss and exchange views on labour related problems and to resolve any outstanding issues relating to workers and their rights;Creating mutual understanding between the Governments of the two countries to protect all workers, with special consideration to the specific vulnerabilities of female migrant workers;

Facilitating healthy cooperation and exchange of information on best practices between the two states on labour migration for mutual benefits; and Establishing a mechanism to discuss and exchange views on labour related problems and any outstanding issues relating to workers wellbeing and their rights.

Immediately upon signing of the MoU, my colleague Minister H.E Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli challenged me as follows: “I need 80,000 Uganda workers in the next 12 months”. This is a huge undertaking and I urge the private sector to take up this offer.

The UAE has been the largest destination for the bulk of Ugandan migrant workers. Without an undertaking with the UAE Government, protection of migrant workers and their welfare has not been very easy. The unregulated business had given room to illegal recruitment, trafficking and exploitation.

However, with an agreement in place, more organized and safe employment shall be created. The terms and conditions of employment of Ugandan worker in the United Arab Emirates shall be defined by an individual employment contract between the worker and the employer.

Further, an offer that is mirrored on the contract will be signed by both parties prior to the worker’s departure from Uganda. The written text of the employment offer shall be delivered to the prospective worker in English and Arabic and explained by the Ugandan recruitment agency to the recipient where unclear.

All recruitment, hiring and placement activities of workers in both countries shall be permitted only under recruitment companies licensed by both Governments.

Upon arrival of the worker in the United Arab Emirates he/she will sign an employment contract that will clearly state the rights and obligations of the worker and employer, in conformity with the labour laws of the United Arab Emirates, and the contract will be duly filed with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization in the UAE to constitute the sole binding contract document for the purpose of enforcement in the United Arab Emirates.

The terms and conditions of employment, as stated in the contract, shall not vary from those contained in the employment offer except for alterations that are favorable to the worker.

One sticking point has been the role of the middlemen who end up taking a huge share of the recruitment and placement costs. For us in Uganda, we have always looked forward to a situation where such charges are eliminated for all categories of workers. We are glad that Article 5 of the MoU is clear on that, by ensuring that the employer incurs all recruitment fees and that none shall be levied on the worker.  This therefore ends the burden of placement fees that have previously been borne by the worker and hence ends exploitation that has been going on.

I have proposed that we set up the Joint Committee within three months of coming into operation of this MoU to, among others, make periodic reviews, assessment and monitoring of the implementation of the provisions of this MoU. The team will be composed of officials from my Ministry, as well as Ministries responsible for Foreign Affairs, Justice, Internal Affairs, and Security. The Committee will also make necessary recommendations to resolve any disputes arising from the implementation of the provision of this MoU or amendments to this MoU as may be necessary.

By signing the MoU, the two countries present a critical effort in the fight against human trafficking that has become a menace. This shall be achieved by the two countries enforcing fair and transparent recruitment practices in their respective jurisdiction and ensuring that all actors comply in the process of recruiting Ugandan workers for employment in the UAE in accordance with the rule of law.

As a Ministry, we shall continue the efforts to have more bilateral labour agreements signed with other countries for purposes of ensuring the safety and productivity of our labour in overseas employment.

Finally, this is to urge the public most especially the job seekers to remain vigilant, seek guidance from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, and report any suspected illegal recruiter and anybody involved in any form of exploitation. We remain committed to ensuring safe, orderly, regular, dignified and productive migration for our people.

We salute our brothers and sisters from the UAE for the warm and cordial cooperation enjoyed by our two friendly countries.

FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY.

The writer is the minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development.

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