Last Updated on: 13th February 2023, 10:45 am
The Deputy Resident City Commissioner (RCC) of Makindye Division in Kampala City, Doreen Keita Kagabi has urged Ugandans to appreciate and uphold national peace and security.
Peace and security, she says, are the core pillars in the growth and development of a country.
Kagabi further says security is a cross-cutting matter that transcends any sectarian affiliations like religion, tribe, and political ideology plus gender and so everyone must work toward a stable country.
“…in the absence of peace, things like education, health structures, agriculture as well as religious and cultural activities break down and we lose lives as had been the case before the NRM government came to power…,” the deputy RCC cautioned.
This was during celebrations to mark the World Interfaith Harmony Week held on Monday 6 February 2023 at the KCCA Employment Service Bureau where representatives from various denominations attended.
World Interfaith Harmony week is an annual event. It was first proposed at the UN General Assembly on September 23, 2010, by His Majesty King Abdullah II and HRH Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed of Jordan.
A month later on October 20, 2010, it was unanimously adopted by the UN through a resolution and henceforth observed. The celebration is based on the works of the Common World Initiative.
The Initiative got Muslim and Christian leaders to discuss the two common fundamental religious teachings; the love of God and the love of the neighbour.
It was celebrated under the theme: “Working Together to Achieve Peace, Gender Equality, Mental Health and Well Being, And Environmental Preservation.”
The day coincided with Tarehe Sita (Kiswahili for the sixth) when the then NRA rebel outfit, now UPDF fired the first bullet which triggered five years of protracted war led by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni that culminated in the capture of State power on January 26, 1986.
Referencing the above, Kagabi observed that all sorts of freedoms like worship, association, speech and assembly, among others can only be achieved when there is peace.
The deputy RCC paid glowing tribute to President Yoweri Museveni for ushering in peace and tranquillity which is being enjoyed by Ugandans and foreign nationals who find Uganda one of the best countries in the world.
“…it’s incumbent upon us now to zealously guard the peace that our revolutionary, gallant and visionary leaders achieve by sacrificing their lives for us and other generations to come to fully enjoy their fundamental human rights,” she appealed.
She commended Nile Dialogue Platform (NDP), a humanitarian NGO that sponsored the event and used the opportunity to challenge other development partners to emulate.
Speaking during the same event, Issa Nyende Kiraria, the Secretary-General told the audience that NDP is an interfaith and intercultural NGO whose belief is that all human beings are equal before God the creator of the universe.
He noted that Uganda has continued to embrace people of all faith backgrounds, because of the hard work of various institutions and individuals who have chosen to dedicate their energy and resources to promote religious harmony.
“As Ugandans, we do recognize that the common values we hold and cherish far outweigh our differences and thus provide us a strong dosage of peace and harmony to the communities…” Kirarira said.
Participants included leaders from the Church of Uganda, Greek Orthodox Church, Catholic Church, Pentecostal Church and Bahai Faith in Uganda together with councillors and other stakeholders from civil society organizations.