The State Minister for Ethics & Integrity, Simon Lokodo has mantained his stand on the proposed policy to regulate religious institutions , saying it necessary to regulate the pastors.
This comes after a group of over 500 Born Again pastors across the country recently endorsed a move to ask President Yoweri Museveni to sack minister Lokodo for fanning the move to satisfy his personal interests.
Speaking during a consultative meeting with a section of religious leaders at Ndejje University yesterday, Minister Lokodo said has received numerous reports of ill behavior and that some of these religious leaders abuse their followers, take advantage of those who go to them for blessings ;fleece them of huge amounts of money and they leave them llanguishing in poverty as they on the other side get rich day by day, with some driving cars worth shs400 million.
Under the new National Policy on Religious and Faith-Based Organisations, all clerics will be required to obtain formal theological training and to obtain a certificate from a recognized institution.
According to the new policy, procedures to be followed by whoever wants to start a new church will also be put in place and the pastors will be required to declare their source of income . The policy will also so enforce transparency and financial accountability in religious institutions.
A number of religions including Muslims, Anglican and Catholics among others have recognized theological schools from where their various leaders are trained from before they start doing the work of God.
However, a section of Born-Again church leaders have since accused Lokodo of fueling the proposed policy with his own selfish interests.
They say they can be regulated by the 1995 Constitution and Penal Code other than the new policy being fanned by the minister.
