Fellow citizens, all the people and sons of God, fellow believers, brother and sisters in Jesus Christ. I bring you greetings from the Uganda Union of the Seventh-day Adventists. We are standing at the very fringes and threshold of the new year, 2024, and casting an eye into the year 2025, we give God all the praise and honor for His mercies, protection, blessings in our individual lives, our families, our communities, our country and the world at large. As we end the year 2024, we look at how far we have come as individuals, families, communities, the nation and the world, at large. The Lord our God in heaven is worthy to be given all the praise, glory and honor, for He is the main reason why we are still alive, hopeful and optimistic.
I applaud the government of Uganda, under the leadership of President Yoweri Museveni for steering the country in the fight against poverty, disease, social evils and apathy. I applaud the government for establishing the various the initiatives and structures for the improvement of livelihood and standards of Ugandans. I appeal to every economically active and conscious Ugandan to take advantage of the God given opportunities and government initiatives to improve their livelihood and standards of their lives and communities. Although we have registered some strides in the socio-economic transformation of our country and communities, I beleieve we could have done far better if it were not for the prevalent culture of corruption that is becoming an acceptable vice, the moral decay especially among the youth and the decreasing lack of role models among the adults. Furthermore, the festive season that should have drawn people to Jesus Christ, instead sends them into the arms and camps of Satan and evil doing. This is the time people get to drink too much alcohol and others die of it. People over drink and over eat. People recklessly spend. People get involved in all sorts of orgies and lose themselves. People over-speed in many things and many lose their lives.
A Call to the Government
I call upon government to end the mere talk and the catchy slogans of fighting corruption, that has been characteristic of many top government leaders, but instead make tangible efforts, with practical examples and a determined zeal, in ending the prevalent and ever increasing evil of corruption. Whatever and however much government will bring all the lovely initiatives and programs, we will not register substantial development when corruption, embezzlement, greed, excessive spending and theft of tax payers’ money, are not checked. It is like pouring water in a leaking container with holes.
A Call Religious Leaders
The moral decay and decline of civility among our population (Okukendeera/okuggwaawo kw’empisa n’obuntu bulamu mu bantu), is yes, a responsibility of government, but falls more squarely upon us religious leaders and cultural leaders. This is due to the declining or lack of proper spiritual diet in our pulpits and inadequate pastoral nurture. Some of our pulpits have become platforms for political discourses, personal fights and attacks, and theatrical stages. There is need to get back to preaching the Word, to doctrinal instruction, “for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
A Call to Government, Religious Leaders and Cultural Leaders
The other element where the religious leaders need a concerted efforts and collaboration with both the cultural institutions and the government is in the area of the preservation and revival of the African Family institution. Many of the vices and evils on the streets, the corruption and declining civility among the pollution, the poverty and prevalent apathy and laziness among the youths, the increasing tendency of carving to get rich quick without working – all have their foundation upon the collapse of the African Family institution.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church Contribution
As a Church, The Uganda Union of Seventh-day Adventists, in her strategic mission agenda, has put particular emphasis upon the spiritual, religious, socio-economic transformation of the family institution in what is dubbed as the Adventist Household or Adventist Family model. The government together with other religious leaders, would interested to know how the Adventist Church goes about with the family.
The Boda-Boda Challenge
The other challenge where there is need for government intervention, is the regulation of the boda boda industry. When you go at any traffic junction or any street, you will notice that the number of boda boda riders is far exceeds the available vehicles and human beings on foot. The city, the towns and villages are indeed littered with boda bodas. I have been to India, where most of those motorcycles are manufactured and imported from, but the streets of Uganda exhibit a far higher presence of boda bodas than anywhere in India.
I am not against boda bodas, per se. Boda bodas are good and helpful in faster movement, especially with our narrow roads and heavy traffic. I also know that they are helpful to government in lots of ways, including some contribution to the economy.
However, Boda bodas have also had their share and heavy toll in terms of accidents and loss of lives, traffic mess and confusion, safety measure, social-economic evils, to name but a few. I wonder where the country is headed to, if this challenge and threat is not addressed. Some of these young men are idle. Others are just hiding in the trade. Many are selling land and fixed assets to come into the trade. It is a time-bomb that may erupt any time.
There is, therefore, an urgent need for immediate regulation of the boda boda industry in Uganda. How many boda bodas are in the country? How many more should come into the country every day? How are they organized Et-cetera.
I call upon government to urgently regulate the boda-boda industry for the good and future of our country.
Political Dialogue and Torrance
The year 2025 will take us closer towards the national elections. Given our pas history, we tend to become too reactionary, excited, nervous and aggressive in a bid to win elections at any cost. We do not need to take this country back into any violence of sorts. Let us compete fairly and with sanity. Let us set a platform for free and fair political activities. The party in power is critical in making this happen. We appeal to government to clear the political space and set a free competitive environment based on respect and mutual good for all Ugandans. We appeal to the security organs, especially the Police and the Army to desist from political activism but remain neutral and fair to all political players. Together we can build a better Uganda, the Uganda we want.
The Mission the Seventh-day Adventist Church
The mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is to prepare humanity for the world’s climactic event, the return of Jesus Christ, which will put an end to all forms of human sufferings and evil, and usher in the new era of eternity.
Let us not forget that we live in a broken world and God alone holds the key to amending humanity’s brokenness and He is the ultimate hope and secret for a meaningful life on earth.
I exhort every Ugandan, every Christian and all Seventh-day Adventists to be at the forefront of promoting peace, personal and national development, committed service to God and service to humankind. Let us also be practical in the demonstration of Christ’s love to the humanity we are called upon to serve.
For the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the year 2025 is going to be a year of unprecedented acceleration for mission. 2025 is going to be a year of hard work, a year of tough times, but a year of advancement. It is going to be a year of leadership changes right from the General Conference (world-wide organ), to the regional Divisions, to the national and all our Fields.
I would like to end with a quotation and a Bible text:
In the book Christian Experience and Teaching, pg. 204, Ellen White writes: “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.”
Joshua 1:9
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
We thank God for the far He has brought us; the battles and victory He has wrought for us in 2024 and before. May the year 2025 be a year of your closer relationship with your God; may it be a year of your closer relationship with your family and loved ones; may it be a year of greater service to God and humanity; may it be a year of progress and growth. I wish you God’s blessings, a happy and a prosperous new year.
Pr. Dr. Moses Ndimukika Maka
The President (Archbishop) of The Uganda Union Mission of Seventh-day Adventists.