President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commended Pastor Robert Kayanja for promoting production and community development through his ministry, particularly in Karamoja and Kiryandongo.
Museveni made the remarks at the Big Fix Holy Spirit Global Conference at Miracle Centre Cathedral in Rubaga, Kampala.
The seven-day conference, hosted by Pastor Robert Kayanja and Pastor Jessica Kayanja, has attracted Christian leaders and visitors from Uganda and several other countries.
The President welcomed discussions at the conference on African integration and the political integration of East Africa.
“I am very happy to hear Pastor Kayanja and other pastors talking about integration of Africa, political integration of East Africa. It is all music to my ears,” Museveni said.
He thanked Pastor Kayanja and Pastor Jessica for bringing together Christians from different countries to exchange ideas and build relationships.
Museveni also praised Kayanja’s development work in Karamoja and Kiryandongo.
In Karamoja, the ministry has supported agricultural production through the “Plough, Plant, Produce” initiative, which promotes mechanised farming.
In Kiryandongo, Gold Meadow Farm is involved in livestock and crop production, including maize and bananas, while providing employment and skills development.
Museveni said development must be driven by production and trade.
“You cannot achieve prosperity by begging. You need to produce a good or a service and sell it. That is how wealth is created,” he said.
He said Uganda’s increased production had strengthened the case for wider regional and continental markets.
Museveni cited coffee and dairy as examples, saying coffee production had increased from about three million bags to nine million bags, while annual milk production had grown from about 200 million litres in 1986 to nearly six billion litres.
He said increased production requires access to larger markets and called for stronger implementation of the East African Common Market and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“When I came here and heard Pastor Kayanja talking about African integration, I said, ‘Praise the Lord,’ because we have already started the AfCFTA, the Continental Free Trade Area,” Museveni said.
He also called for deeper East African integration in areas including defence, foreign policy, citizenship and the common market.
The President welcomed the formation of a SACCO by pastors and pledged Shs2 billion towards the initiative.
“Finally, I am glad the pastors have formed a SACCO. Now it’s true, I am going to put Shs2 billion,” he said.
Pastor Kayanja thanked Museveni for attending the conference and said participants had travelled from several countries, including the United States, China, Germany, Ukraine, India, Australia, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and South Sudan.
He also announced plans for a Shs5 trillion milk project under the “Cow Bank Initiative”, which aims to mobilise Christians to rear cattle for large-scale milk production.
Museveni later launched three books, including Smile Karamoja: From Hunger to Hope and Harvest, which documents development initiatives in the region.
