Michael Wandati
According to the Uganda’s KCCA and NEMA laws, nobody has a license or can be granted one to assault ears (public noise makers).
Street preachers are not a new sight on roads in major towns and especially on the streets of Kampala. However, over the years they have devised means to appeal more to their audience.
They are the noisy menaces who shout their voices hoarse straight into your ears as you wait for the lights to turn green along Kampala’s hot streets. They appeared out of nowhere a few years ago, they did not seem like they were going to stay long but stay long they did. Now they are a signature sight on the streets.
I am disturbed by the growing number of street preachers in Kampala city who shout from all corners amplifying the noise in the city leave alone the Boda boda menace, busy traffic jam of motorists and pedestrians, not to forget the begging street kids well positioned by Karamoja women, and also disabled men and women strategically placed on busy streets to beg from passersby — all these amounts to a question that I have personally failed to answer: Is Kampala – Uganda a begging Nation?
For the Preachers, you could whisper your prayers, God always gets and will answers it. †
Why always pray, pray, and pray day-in-day-out even when the BIBLE for Christians is quoted to us to spare a day and dedicate it for Him – that is why Christians go to church on Sunday, Muslims on Friday and Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) worship on Saturday?
I am not an Atheist to critique the word of God and His servants, but am also a believer and follower of Christ.
But again, does it mean that a preacher have the right to force my ears to listen to his/her preaching when am not in the spirit?
To me these mushrooming preachers in the streets of Kampala, are just like the illegal street hawkers and vendors who the KCCA should arrest and charge or detain them — just the way the unlicensed women and men who vend vegetables, fruits and other stuff in the streets are treated by the Council Askaris.
These preachers collect and make money, but do they pay taxes and revenue out of the monies collected? I doubt even if they do tithe and give offertory at their respective Churches or worship places.
They are ‘business’ people and ‘thieves’ in that case, why spare them? Even in the Bible Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
Kampala Dispatch Magazine
