President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged religious leaders to mobilize their congregations for wealth creation, saying faith and economic empowerment must go hand in hand to lift Ugandans out of poverty.
The President made the call on September 17, 2025, during a meeting with Born-Again leaders led by Bishop Dr. Moses Odongo, General Overseer of the National Fellowship of Born-Again Pentecostal Churches (NFBPC), at State House Entebbe.
Museveni stressed that proper land use and enterprise selection remain key to Uganda’s prosperity. “If you have two acres, and you put one acre under cassava for food, you remain with only one acre for money. If you choose the wrong enterprise, you never get out of poverty,” he said.
He cited the country’s experience with cotton farming as an example of low-value enterprises that kept farmers poor. “At that time, farmers harvested about 200 kilograms of cotton an acre, selling at 200 shillings. That meant 40,000 shillings a year. How can a family survive on that? That is why I recommended foods, because foods can actually make a lot of money, even up to 30 million shillings an acre,” Museveni explained.
The President encouraged churches to promote high-value crops such as coffee and fruits and promised government support in providing free seedlings to overcome cost barriers. “Seedlings were once at 400 shillings, but now I hear they are at 2000 shillings. That is why we must go back to government channels, directly or through institutions, to ensure free seedlings for our people. We can start with coffee, then move to fruits,” Museveni said.
He likened the principles of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to Christian teachings of forgiveness and reconciliation, saying both seek unity and non-sectarianism. “The NRM is like a church because we came with non-sectarianism, no revenge; these are Jesus’s teachings,” he added.
Bishop Odongo pledged the fellowship’s full support for the President’s wealth creation agenda. “We will continue to help Christians interpret your dream of wealth creation, asking ourselves: how do we get money in our pockets and communities? For instance, we have already started the coffee project as a way of mobilizing our people,” he said.
He revealed plans to build a permanent headquarters in Kasangati that will include a training school for pastors, appealing for government support to equip leaders with knowledge and skills.
Bishop Odongo also thanked President Museveni and First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni for safeguarding religious freedom. “We have had an environment where we worship God freely. Your efforts for wealth creation are amazing, and we are following that example,” he said.
Museveni commended Bishop Odongo for uniting the Born-Again community, saying unity among faith leaders is crucial for both spiritual and socio-economic transformation.
