Museveni Urges Clergy to Suspend ‘Laying on of Hands’ Amid Escalating Ebola Threat

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has issued a strong appeal to religious leaders across Uganda, urging them to temporarily suspend the practice of laying hands on worshippers during prayers and healing sessions to curb the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.  

Addressing the nation from State House Nakasero on the measures to contain the recent Ebola outbreak, the President warned that direct physical contact during religious gatherings poses a significant risk of transmission. He emphasized that spiritual devotion can be fully exercised without practices that jeopardize public health.  

“The pastors, the people of God, are the ones who touch patients saying they are healing them. If you pray to God, you can pray to God without touching. God is not deaf; He will hear you. Bless people without touching them,” Museveni stated.  

The President’s address comes as the country intensifies its response to the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus, which has already claimed lives and put health authorities on high alert.

During his address, President Museveni stressed that faith and scientific knowledge are not mutually exclusive but must work in tandem to protect human life. He reminded the clergy that as intermediaries between believers and God, physical contact is not a prerequisite for effective prayer or divine intervention.  

Drawing upon biblical scriptures to drive his point home, Museveni challenged Ugandans to use their intellect to overcome the current health crisis.

“In the Book of Genesis, it says establish dominion over nature. This is science. Establishing dominion over nature is to understand science. Man was created after all other creatures and was told to establish dominion over them because he is cleverer,” he explained.

The President urged all citizens to embrace science as a vital tool provided to humanity to understand, manage, and ultimately defeat diseases and environmental challenges.  

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Drawing Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

To illustrate the necessity of strict boundaries during health crises, Museveni recounted his personal experience during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He revealed that he maintained strict no-contact protocols, even when hosting high-ranking global religious figures.  

“The other time when we had Corona, the Archbishop of Canterbury came here. They said he wanted to bless me. I said, ‘No, you bless me from a distance. Don’t touch me.’ He couldn’t touch me. I could not even greet him; I refused it,” Museveni recalled.  

He emphasized that Ebola, a severe viral haemorrhagic disease, spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, sweat, and vomit of an infected person, or through contaminated materials. “If it is spreading only through contact, it means it is spreading because of carelessness,” he warned, urging Ugandans to abandon handshakes and simply wave at one another.  

The President’s directives align with ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Health to contain the outbreak, which recently recorded 19 confirmed cases and two deaths. Health authorities have activated rapid response teams and scaled up surveillance across the country.  

The Minister of Health, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, recently reiterated that because there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Ebola Sudan strain, prevention remains Uganda’s primary and most effective line of defense.  

Dr. Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, has also specifically cautioned places of worship to exercise extreme vigilance. She warned against the sharing of items such as communion cups and urged all public institutions, including schools and places of worship, to strictly observe hygiene protocols and infection prevention measures.  

As the government ramps up public awareness campaigns, public health experts continue to advise that limiting unnecessary physical contact and maintaining strict personal hygiene are critical steps in breaking the transmission chains of the Ebola virus.