Born Again Pastors in Ibanda Protest Abrupt Enforcement of New Trade Order

Pastors in Ibanda District say the enforcement of the Trade Order Act has disrupted worship activities and caught many churches off guard, calling for a longer transition period and greater consultation before implementation.

Pastors under the Born Again faith in Ibanda District have raised concerns over the abrupt enforcement of the new Trade Order Act, saying the operation has caught many churches unprepared and is threatening their ability to continue operating.

The government recently began enforcing a stricter trade order targeting street vendors, hawkers, illegal kiosks, and unauthorized structures along streets, pavements, verandas, and road reserves. Some temporary worship structures used by Born Again churches have also been affected.

Speaking in an interview, Bishop Joseph Birungi, team leader of pastors and head of Ebenezer Worship Center Ministries in Ibanda Municipality, said many religious leaders were not adequately informed about how the enforcement would be carried out.

“We were all green about the order and what is going on because this issue came in before we knew what was going to take place,” he said.

Birungi added that the enforcement has placed pressure on pastors who were not given sufficient time to prepare for compliance.

“We found the way this trade order is going to work is really squeezing a person who is not ready. Many pastors may just give up and run around to go back to other things because the order does not give them humble time to prepare themselves,” he said.

He accused government of failing to properly consult religious leaders before rolling out the enforcement exercise.

“We are putting blame on government because they cooked their thing there and then it just busted on us unaware,” he said.

Birungi defended the role of Born Again churches, saying they have contributed significantly to community transformation through spiritual work and social projects such as schools and health facilities.

“The Born Again church has done a very big work in this country because many people have gotten saved and it has really helped our communities. Some churches have projects like schools and hospitals,” he said.

He argued that the requirement for churches to acquire large plots of land within a short period is unrealistic for many pastors.

“You cannot come out and tell me that I should be having at least a minimum of four plots, which is about one acre, to establish a church. Where do I get all that money immediately to buy land in our area?” he asked.

Birungi appealed for an extension of the implementation period from six months to at least two years to allow churches time to comply.

“We accept that we have poor-looking structures and some pastors built in road reserves, but let there be some good humble time. Not months, but at least two years so that somebody can prepare himself,” he said.

He also called for representation of Born Again churches on relevant committees to ensure fair implementation of the trade order.