One of President Yoweri Museveni’s top lawyers, who is also a senior partner in Uganda’s premium legal firm, Kampala Associated Advocates (KAA), senior counsel Sam Mayanja has been awarded the highest honorary doctorate by the America’s North Western University.

Mayanja is a grandson to Apolo Kivebulaya, one of the first persons to spread the born again gospel in Uganda.

On top of representing VVIPs, including president Museveni under KAA, Mayanja part times as a seasoned columnist in Ono Bwino newspaper, Uganda’s most selling weekly paper and in the New Vision.

Below is Mayanja’s moving speech at Serena Hotel, Victoria hall yesterday, narrating how he has fought different battles since his youthful age to ensure that the gospel spreads to all regions in the country since the reign of Idi Amin.

Guest of honour, all protocols observed, allow me to say at once, how humbled I am today and in saying this I am doing so on behalf of all those who today have had the privilege and honour of being conferred with Certificates at various levels and categories by the internationally acclaimed Northwestern Christian University (USA).

Personally, the journey into Christian service has been a long one. Starting with my great grandfather Apollo Kivebulaya who was involved in various religious fighting groups during Uganda’s religious wars of the late 1880’s. He first fought with the Muslim group but later crossed to the Christian fighters and regarded himself as having joined the Christian army.

It was in this fighting group that Christ found him and became a soldier in the real army of the Lord. He went on to become one of the greatest evangelists this country has ever produced carrying the Good News to the Belgian Congo basin himself at the palace of Omukama (King) Tabaro of the “Bambuti  People”. His remains are interred at Namirembe Cathedral. My own father Erinest Birebwe followed in the footsteps of Apollo and was vanguard in establishing the first nucleus Pentecostal movement in the greater Mubende District having crossed from the Anglican “balokole tukundereza” movement. The early Pentecostals were known as “Munga Mwema” or “Gugudde”.

The Mityana Full Gospel Church stands on the land donated to this nuclear Church by my father. I picked on this rich Christian heritage when at the age of 13 I addressed my first street rally at Bwaise and thereafter became a common street preacher. I soon caught the eye of my senior pastor, the late Joshua Kamya Musoke of Makerere Full Gospel Church who nominated me as head of the team preaching in the slams of Makerere Kivulu, Kiwunya, Wandegeya-Katanga, Nakulabye, Bakuli e.t.c.

Little did I know that in years to come I was to stand before the Military Head of State, Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada demanding that the people of God who had been arrested worshiping their God at Makerere Full Gospel Church be released.  Indeed, Idi Amin bowed to the anointment of God which was upon me and ordered the release of all the saints who had been

incarcerated at Luzira maximum security prison. A year later, Idi Amin’s regime was no more. Ours has been and continues to be a mission of rising from a small beginning firmly in the belief that our great God will see us through. Banned by Idi Amin, named “biwempe” Churches, delegations being sent by established Churches to the newly established Movement Government to re-impose the four religions policy of Idi Amin, or even threatening banning Pastors from preaching on grounds of academic inadequacies. Through it all however, the Church of Christ has triumphed and will always triumph.

The Church of Christ being God’s appointed agency for the salvation of mankind knows no defeat. Its victory is divine. The mission is to carry the gospel to all countries of the World. This obligation rests upon not only Pastors but on all Christians, to the extent of everyone’s talent and opportunity. It is imperative upon all children of God to fulfill the savior’s commission. The love of Christ, revealed to us, makes us debtors to all those who do not know Christ as their personal Lords and savior. God has given us light, not for ourselves alone, but to shade upon the entire unsaved humanity.

Today’s graduation is proof that we are now equipped with knowledge and I believe, anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit, to preach the Gospel with all the energy at our disposal to the ends of the earth, God himself confirming his word with miracles. Let every man be a liar but God be true, the Good news of Jesus Christ to all mankind will continue, until all earth is covered with the glory of God as the waters cover the Sea.

You are no doubt aware that voters in Uganda will, in a few weeks, be going to the polls to decide who shall govern the Country for the subsequent five years. During our country’s dark hours, Christians prayed to God to give Uganda a God fearing leader. No President in the history of Uganda has done so much for religious freedom as has President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. From giving a hand to virtually all religious heads in terms of vehicles to facilitate their pastoral work, construction of places of worship, revamping places of historical religious importance like Namugongo Martyrs’ Christian shrine, to opening the doors of the State House for religious functions like prayer meetings. These are surely actions of a God fearing leader.

From where I stand Ugandan should continue to vote for this God fearing leader into the highest office in the land to continue giving the country leadership that has insured peace and stability for the last 35 years. As we retreat to our various homes, to party and celebrate the higher levels to which this graduation has led us, let us remember to rejoice the more because our names are written in the Book of Life to live eternally in the glory of the everlasting presence of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, who loved us with unmerited love and died for us, so that through his death all mankind  should be saved. Freely given, freely received.

God Bless you all.

By Sengooba Alirabaki