)
)
Ugandan priest and gospel artist, Fr Anthony Musaala, has weighed in on the recent apology issued by President Yoweri Museveni and his wife, Janet Kataaha Museveni, to the public, calling it halfhearted.
During a mass at St Mary’s Cathedral Rubaga, Fr Musaala raised concerns about the sincerity and depth of the apology, which was issued last weekend.
The President and First Lady, during the recent Light Up Uganda For Jesus Mission Crusade held on May 24 at Kololo Independence Grounds, apologised to Ugandans, particularly the people of Buganda, for letting them down during the past 40 years in leadership.
They acknowledged the “laxity, negligence and lack of diligence” in providing services to the Baganda region, admitting to the growing dissatisfaction among their grassroots supporters who felt “used and forgotten.”
)
)
)
Fr Musaala however, said that while public repentance was important, the apology was incomplete.
"I think it would have been good if the president had told us what he had done wrong," Fr Musaala stated.
According to Musaala, a genuine apology should include an admission of all the wrongdoings committed during the 40 years of Museveni’s rule.
"If he confessed all the wrong he and his family did, perhaps about the trillions of money they have stolen, all the people’s lives they have taken, or the inconvenience they cause on our roads when they drive by, or the people that have been kidnapped," he said.
)
A Lack of Full Confession and Repentance
In his critique, Fr Musaala cited the four steps of repentance taught in Catholicism, which he believes were not met in the President’s apology.
He noted that in order to truly repent, one must examine their conscience, express sincere regret, and openly confess their sins.
"Did he really examine his conscience? Did he take time with his wife to examine their conscience? Perhaps they did not study Catechism," Fr Musaala questioned.
Such an apology, he said, should also have come with actions, including “completing the assigned penance," referring to the concept in Catholicism where a sinner makes amends for their actions.
For Fr Musaala, this step is essential for showing true accountability, and without it, the apology remains hollow.