By Kenneth Wamatoyi
JINJA
Pastors in Jinja City and Jinja District have voiced strong opposition to the upcoming Nyege Festival, set to take place from November 14th to 17th in Jinja City.
This opposition was expressed during a press conference held on Oboja Road in Jinja City, on Sunday, 10th November, 2024 organized by the Evangelical Churches of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
According to Pastor Sserwadda Zachariah, the overseer of the pastors in the region, the opposition is based on the belief that the festival promotes immoral behaviors such as nudity and homosexuality, which are contrary to biblical teachings. Pastor Sserwadda emphasized that such practices negatively affect the younger generation and spoil the community.
While he acknowledged that the festival may bring economic benefits to the region, he insisted that it is not worth the moral compromise. He urged the community to avoid participating in the event, warning that those who do would be considered unholy in the eyes of the Lord.
Pastor Muwubwa James of Great Salvation Miracle Church also expressed his disapproval, stating that as Basoga, the people of Jinja do not need the Nyege Festival to develop.
He argued that such events only serve to harm the community and undermine cultural values. Pastor Muwubwa suggested that Jinja could boost its economy through other business activities and productive festivals that align with community standards and promote moral values, rather than relying on the Nyege Festival, which he believes encourages immorality.
Bishop Makka Fredrick, the General Overseer of the Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa, echoed these concerns. He stated that while the festival may bring financial blessings to the community, it comes at a high moral cost. Bishop Makka warned that by the time the festival ends, the community’s values and morals could be significantly damaged. He noted that while there is liberty to worship, believers should not allow themselves to be enslaved by sin, and as pastors in the region, they are not willing to participate in or support the festival.
Pastor Tumwebaze Samuel of Good Samaritan Churches in Kaliro also expressed strong opposition to the Nyege Festival, arguing that the event promotes immoral behaviours. He emphasized that he cannot allow the current generation of youth and the Busoga community to be involved in such practices.
Pastor Tumwebaze recounted watching images and videos from last year’s Nyege Festival, which he said cannot be supported or promoted. He questioned why the Basoga community should allow such behaviours for three days each year, behaviours he believes go against biblical teachings. He called on the community and other leaders to join them in opposing the festival and instead promote more productive activities that align with moral values.
In response to the ongoing controversy, which came to a head during the Busoga Prayers organized by the Busoga Consortium for Development on October 20 in Luuka District, Pastor Tumwebaze and other religious leaders have continued to resist the festival.
During the prayers, Rebecca Kadaga, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Kamuli District Woman MP, clashed with religious leaders over the festival. Rt. Rev. Hannington Ssuubi, Bishop of Busoga East, also condemned the Nyege Festival, stating that it tarnishes the image of Busoga and corrupts the morals of children.
The pastors argue that the festival promotes homosexuality and nudity, which they say reflect Western cultural values that are incompatible with Busoga’s cultural traditions. They have called on the government to move the festival to regions where such practices might be more accepted, rather than allowing it to continue in Jinja, where it is seen as a threat to the current generation’s moral integrity.
While the pastors acknowledge that the festival promotes tourism, as highlighted by civic leaders, they remain adamantly opposed to the immoral practices associated with the event. They emphasized that their opposition is not directed at Rebecca Kadaga as a person but at the practices promoted by the festival. They have also extended an invitation to Kadaga to meet with them and discuss the issues surrounding the festival, as they believe these practices contradict biblical teachings.
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