Is This Really God’s Chosen Leadership for Uganda?

By McPius Ssekatawa S

As a staunch and profound follower of Christ, I have found myself lately wrestling with Romans 13:1, “All leadership comes from God.” Is this sincerely the leadership God chose for us, or have we probably misinterpreted scripture and misread His intentions? If only we had the power to amend the Bible, like we treat our constitution like a mere paper, adding footnotes and disclaimers, this verse could not stand the test of time.

It is fine; we accepted that all leadership comes from God, but seriously, is this the leadership God intended for us His beloved? You never know, we might have lost a disclaimer or a footnote that clarifies this divine dictum. Probably the disclaimer was: Divine leadership may vary based on geographic location. Unless we read the Bible erroneously, but really, do we deserve this leadership. Should we accept that after sending us his beloved son out of unmatched love, he gifted us this suffering?

At times, I cannot help but accept that some bible verses apply to specific groups, and probably Romans 13:1 may not be applicable to us Ugandans. Could it be that this verse was originally, “All leadership comes from God with the exception of Uganda?”

Sometimes, I feel like we are serving a full-time punishment, and if so, why did God choose to punish us this way? Are we too bad, worse than our leaders, who are seemingly “making God proud” by their sequential scandals? Are we, as a nation, too flawed that we merit this state-of-the art 9-to-5 punishment?

Biblicists say that some scriptures were altered in the process of translation. Could this be one of them? Was “some” mistakenly translated as “all” such that the right phrase could have been “Some leadership comes from God, but not all?”

If it is factual that scriptures were written the accurate way, could it be the case that God is actually contented with the leadership he bequeathed us? Are we like the sons of Israel, who got oppressive leadership for repayment for their transgressions? Watching the daily news feels like watching a horror movie, where scenes of corruption are cast with neck-stabbing detail. Then what is that grave sin we did to deserve this?

Perhaps we are being tested, as it is always God’s way, putting to a test those He loves. And if it is really a test, then this test is unbearable. In addition, how could we be electing tests reign after reign? Is our entire life as Ugandans a test? If it is, then it is unbearable. Perhaps this is a divine test of our patience as we watch “God’s leaders” who turn public funds into “luxzhare.”

Theologians assert the omniscience of God, and as such, He does not regret his decisions. Are we truly witnessing the right effects of God’s divine knowledge? If it is the case, then God should know that his leaders are making him proud.  Everything is running the way he intended. Can it be the case that we never understood what the scriptures meant by “All leadership comes from God? Or else, are we following the wrong leadership rightly, or is the right leadership leading us astray?

Probably, this clause might have been conditional—that all leadership comes from God as long as it glorifies him. Considering the path our leaders are taking, one that is marred by corruption, deceit, and self-aggrandizement, can we unanimously, in our rightful senses, take pride in this divine mandate? This leadership is the worst thing that has ever happened to us.

Should we believe that some scriptures were relevant to specific times and that they are outdated for our time? Is shelving them the best option? Suppose we were to reject this clause. Would our justification be selecting leaders who align with our values? Should the presumption that we elect “our” leaders and shun the bunch that God chose for us be viable? Or else, did our leaders usurp powers of attorney from the rightful and divine God-chosen leadership?

However, in all this, I have come to believe that our leaders are dropping a challenge. They are proving that unlike other leaderships, theirs came from Satan. All their actions of mismanagement, deceit, and insensitivity are indicative that they received their training in the underworld. It is obvious that they attended a demonic masterclass in turning every policy into a serving ploy.

If this is what divine leadership looks like, then Satan’s CV should have an endorsement from our leaders: “Excellence in creating chaos, pandemonium, and disregard for public welfare.

In the end, if our leadership is truly a manifestation of God’s divine mandate, then the biggest possibility is that God is a comedian with a high sense of humor. If laughter is the best medicine, then we are in for a full recovery, thanks to God for his unending doses of comedy bestowed on us through our leaders.

The writer is the author of the WEEKLY DISSECTION, a blog where he analyzes contemporary and relevant Ugandan issues.