President Yoweri Museveni has highly praised Tororo Catholic Church for supplementing Government’s efforts by initiating income-generating projects that will go a long way in helping wananchi to decisively fight poverty.

“I am happy to be in Soni-Kainja to find the word ‘Chewi’ meaning waking up. The Chewi is behind the classrooms here – green houses – where you can grow crops in a small area,” he said.

The President made the remarks today while officiating at a fundraising ceremony for the construction of St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Soni-Kainja Sub-county, West Budama North Constituency in Tororo District, Eastern Uganda.

Over shs.144 million was raised in cash and pledges for the construction of a 2,000 seat-building of worship that requires Shs.700 million.

President Museveni contributed Shs.100 million of which Shs. 30 million was in cash. His portrait fetched Shs.10 million and was taken by Bank of Uganda.

President Museveni, who was reacting to the speech made by the Archbishop of Tororo Archdiocese, the Most Rev. Emmanuel Obbo, added thanked the Archbishop for all the projects that he has initiated in Sonia Kanjia that also includes, among others, the skilling of the youth in carpentry, metal works and ICT.

“Those are skills that you can use you yourself for small scale industries or for getting a job from the mushrooming industries in the country. I thank His Grace the Archbishop for the projects and I will send the State House Comptroller to talk with him and see how we can move on,” he said.

The President also welcomed the idea of preserving the tourism potential sites as recommended by the area MP Hon. Richard Othieno Okoth pledging to have the sites mapped and fenced to ensure their preservation. 

Mr. Museveni, however, cautioned the people of the area to guard against growing rice in wetlands describing the act as poor mathematics and un-Christian.

“If you destroy the swamps, where will you get water to irrigate all this huge land?. It is poor mathematics and un-Christian. You are opposing God who created all those things. With these heavy rains, God has shown his powers because all those who cultivated in the swamps have been flushed out by the flooding,” he noted.

The President who expressed his excitement at being in Soni Kainja at the time people are waking up, also advised farmers to do fish farming on the edges of the swamps.

“I am happy to be here when there is a waking up movement,” he said.

He assured the people of the area that the road from Tororo to Nagongera on to Busolwe will be worked on and that the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway is about to commence. He also gave assurances that the laboratory for Kirewa Senior Secondary School will be done.

Area MP, Hon. Richard Othieno Okoth, thanked the government for the programmes in his constituency adding that for the first time, government programmes are being felt in the area. He cited electricity and safe water coverage that has improved.

In attendance were the Cultural leader of the Jopadhola, Moses Owor, Minister of State for Health, Hon. Sarah Opendi and Members of Parliament, among others. ENDS