The Parliamentary Forum on Ethics and Integrity has condemned the ban on Street preaching by Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA.
Former minister of Ethics and integrity, also the Chairman of the Forum, Dr James Buturo Nsaba, says that the ban contradicts the Bible which guides Christians to 'go out and spread the word of Christ among nations.' He says that the scripture cannot be subject to man-made regulations adding that by plotting to ban street preaching, KCCA is manifesting into an agent of Satan.
Buturo, a born-again Christian says that street preaching is essential in touching lives of people who may not have time to attend Church but also in shaping the morality of some Ugandans.
His comments follow a notice in which KCCA announced a ban on street preaching. In the notice, KCCA said that it had noted an increase in unapproved activities such as street trading, street preaching, pasting of posters and banners and mobile advertising screens and loudspeakers among others.
Kampala's street preachers are usually stationed at busy junctions in Kampala, mostly around street lights, reading and interpreting verses from the bible to passersby's. They have no specific time for their activity with some seen on the streets as early as 7am, all through the day. Lately the preachers started carrying megaphones and portable pulpits to add hue to the trade.
However, KCCA says their activities are illegal and that operations would soon start to arrest and prosecute them in line with the KCCA Maintenance of Law and Order Ordinance, 2006.
But Buturo says KCCA should halt the plan and instead regulate the way in which the preachers spread their word, as some of them are seen to go hard on their congregation on taxis. He adds that Uganda cannot turn itself into a Godless country that can ban the gospel with ease.
Buturo also condemned the alleged destruction of Bibles that are alleged to be heavily edited and deceptive.
The Bibles were reportedly burnt on the orders of House of Prayer Ministries Lead Pastor, Aloysius Bugingo, on grounds that they were had been tampered with and some verses omitted. He pointed out that lines in the version of the Bible that make reference to fasting in lent were erased and that the word Holy Ghost is used in the Bible 99 times replacing the word Holy spirit which appears only seven times.
The Holy Books included Good News and King James versions of the Bible.
Although Pastor Aloysius Bugingo, is quoted dismissing the allegations of commanding the destruction of the versions, Nsaba Buturo says the act of burning the Bible is sinful and calls for an apology.
