A section of Kampala City Businessmen have condemned the controversial Religious Policy being tabled by government to streamline the work of religious leaders.
Led by Collins Tugumisirize, they say the proposed law targets some religious leaders who have poked holes in it.
They say the law if passed, will scare away potential investors and hurt Uganda’s economy.
They cite Prophet Elvis Allan Mbonye of popular Zoe Fellowship whom they say is being persecuted by government because of his firm stand against the new religious policy.
This was revealed by Collins and Namaganda at Serena Kampala Hotel, on Monday.
The two members, who represented a larger community of Christians, said that as business people, they were being affected by the persecutions of Prophet Elvis Allan Mbonye.
They said the persecutions are affecting employment, business, economy and social patterns due to bias they infringe on Prophet Mbonye Ministries.
“The public may think that what is portrayed about Prophet Mbonye is true and regard him as evil, yet it is untrue,” Tugumisirize said whIle interacting with the press.
He added that through their lawyers of C/O Walyemera & Co. Advocates, they are challenging the persecution of Prophet Mbonye in the High Court.
Tugumisirize has since filed a lawsuit against CID boss AIGP Grace Akullo, Ag. Commissioner Henry Mugumya & Attorney General whom he accuses of persecuting Prophet Mbonye.
In the suit, Tugumisirize says that trouble begun when Zoe Fellowship Ministries and other Church Organisations associated with it, took a stand against the Religious and Faith Organisation Policy that the government is touting as a solution to fake spiritual leaders in the country.
That Zoe Fellowship Ministries, and other ministries associated with it, have insisted that there are enough laws in place to deal with the mischief, the Religious and Faith Organizations Policy intends to cure if it is passed into law.
Tugumisirize’s suit affirms that if the policy is passed into law, it will muzzle a section of the body of Christ since it is aimed at determining how they will conduct their operations; especially in regard to their faith and beliefs.
He cites the Bill of Rights conversed under chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, that prohibits the violation of the human rights of citizens with diverse views about government policies.
Members of Zoe Fellowship Ministries say that it is quite absurd that while Prophet Elvis Allan Mbonye’s Facebook communication channels are widely known; the investigating officers deliberately and strategically choose to be ‘mistaken’ concerning his identity.
They demand that Prophet Elvis Allan Mbonye’s continued appearances on police bond be closed, and “Mugisha Elvis Allan” be brought to police. Tugumisirize called upon all Christians to join hands in this struggle against a fake Religious Policy. He said the perpetrators targeted popular leaders of the religious communities and that is why Prophet Mbonye is facing these persecutions.
