Nearly 100,000 Christians reportedly thronged Miracle Centre Cathedral in Rubaga on Saturday as the seven-day Big Fix Holy Spirit Global Conference entered its sixth day, with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni using the massive gathering to challenge believers to move beyond dependence and embrace wealth creation.
The huge turnout turned the conference into one of the biggest gatherings of the week, with believers filling the Miracle Centre Cathedral Grounds to capacity as they gathered for worship, teaching and spiritual renewal.
Addressing the congregation, President Museveni urged Christians to become producers and entrepreneurs, saying lasting wealth comes from producing goods and services and accessing stable markets.
He particularly challenged religious leaders to complement preaching with practical messages that encourage their followers to fight poverty, create wealth and improve household incomes.
Museveni also announced Shs2 billion in support for pastors’ SACCOs, saying the initiative would strengthen the economic empowerment of religious leaders and enable them to participate in wealth creation.
The President praised Pastor Robert Kayanja for combining evangelism with socioeconomic empowerment, describing him as a religious leader who had increasingly embraced the role of wealth creation.
Museveni said Uganda and Africa must take advantage of their growing populations by producing goods for local, regional and continental markets.
He also renewed his call for deeper East African economic and political integration, arguing that countries in the region would benefit more by removing barriers to trade and creating a larger common market.
He cited the economic strength of integrated blocs, saying Africa should build stronger regional structures that can enable its people to produce, trade and create wealth on a larger scale.
Museveni further challenged African countries to stop exporting raw agricultural products and instead invest in value addition.
Using coffee as an example, he said African producers earn less when they export raw products while other countries generate greater value by processing and selling finished products.
He urged countries such as Uganda and Brazil, which are major coffee producers, to develop strategies that allow farmers and their economies to benefit more from their agricultural production.
KAYANJA’S SHS5 TRILLION MILK PLAN
Pastor Robert Kayanja, the host of the Big Fix conference, backed the President’s wealth-creation message and unveiled an ambitious Shs5 trillion milk-production project through a cow-bank initiative.
Kayanja said the project would mobilise hundreds of Christians to rear cattle and participate in large-scale milk production.
He also presented achievements from his agricultural activities, including work in Karamoja, where he said efforts were underway to transform the region into a major food-producing area.
He also showcased his mixed dairy and agricultural farm in Kiryandongo as a model of agricultural production.
Kayanja said Robert Kayanja Ministries was ready to work with government to address remaining challenges affecting agricultural development.
He further called for the removal of barriers affecting the East African market, saying Christians and other citizens should be able to freely access wider regional markets.
The President also praised the organisers for bringing together international Christian leaders and believers from across the world.
The Big Fix has attracted participants and guests from more than 70 countries, including delegates from China, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Ukraine.
