John Semakula
Featured
A modern farming campaign launched six years ago by the Anglican Church of Uganda to transform lives affected by the the Lord’s Resistance Army in northern Uganda has started paying off. As a result, farmers have received quality seeds and hybrid animals such as pigs and cattle to rear.
The Muslim community in Uganda entered 2024 with three rival muftis each heading his own faction. The fraternity has been split into factions as a result of endless wrangling caused by, among other things, the mismanagement of Muslim-owned properties.
The High Court in Uganda has directed members of the Anglican Church to use canon law to resolve conflicts arising from the process of electing their bishops instead of petitioning the country’s courts for legal redress.
A bitter disagreement erupted this month in Uganda’s Parliament between the office of the speaker and opposition legislators over the violation of freedom of worship by security forces in the country.
Groups of thieves across Uganda and Kenya are breaking into churches, stealing and damaging expensive items kept inside the houses of worship. Since the start of the year, vandals have broken into at least seven churches in Uganda and ransacked them. Several churches in the neighboring Kenya have also been robbed in recent months.
A recent ruling in Uganda that emphasizes proof of adultery in order for courts to grant a divorce has stirred a hot debate among Christians and lawyers. In the High Court ruling regarding a divorce case filed by a man against his wife, Justice John Eudes Keitirima noted that without proof of adultery, the court would not grant a divorce.
Cases such as the one involving Pastor Joseph Sserubiri have garnered attention, both in Uganda and internationally, due to their heinous nature. The government and law enforcement agencies have made efforts to combat these crimes, but addressing the issue has proven to be complex due to a combination of factors.
The first cohort of 44 medical doctors trained by the Anglican Church of Uganda in its history spanning over 140 years has graduated, marking a milestone in the church’s history of training medical experts in the country. The doctors trained by Uganda Christian University graduated earlier this summer during a colorful ceremony.
The recent murder of a Ugandan woman highlights the threat DNA test results are posing on families as more men who seek paternity tests continue discover that they are not the presumed biological fathers of their children.
Over the last 10 years, the Anglican Church of Uganda has been rocked by a number of grinding legal battles pitting the flock against newly consecrated clergy. Nearly all four regions of Uganda have witnessed a legal battle in which Christians have challenged the process of electing their bishops.
The High Court in Uganda overturned a decision by the government to categorize the Watoto Church property in Kampala as a heritage site, which had blocked the owners from redeveloping it into a modern church complex.
KAMPALA, Uganda — The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Uganda has nullified the election of the fourth bishop of Luweero Diocese in the central region and canceled his consecration that had been slated for July 16 over allegations of infidelity. He’s the latest in a line of clergy to be removed for such hypocrisy.
The death of a supreme court judge in Uganda has sparked a hot public debate on the burial rights of the dead and surviving spouses in church marriages. The debate started after the death of Justice Stella Arach-Amoko, who succumbed to cancer at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala on June 17.
Religious leaders in Uganda have condemned the Allied Democratic Forces rebels June 16 attack and massacre of 42 students in a secondary school in southwestern Uganda.
In recent years, bishops in the Anglican Church of Uganda commanded a lot of respect. Lately, however, the flock has been challenging the election processes of the new bishops in tribunals and courts of law. In the last 10 years, the Anglican Church of Uganda has been rocked by a number of grinding legal battles pitting the flock against newly consecrated bishops and archbishops.
Several prominent Ugandan pastors’ marriages have recently shattered in the public eye, causing many of Uganda’s 34 million Christians to express concerns about the state of marriage in their country. In most of the scandals, male pastors are abandoning their spouses after many years for young women in their congregations.
A growing list of Muslims arrested and killed without trials in Ugandan anti-terrorism security operations, recently including a respected sheikh, has stirred anger and calls for fair prosecution of suspects rather than shootings on site.
Many pastors around the U.S. and the world are wondering how and when church life can transition back into real-life gatherings, with church members weaned off the safety and convenience of online church. ReligionUnplugged.com spoke to a dozen pastors from Africa to America to hear about the challenges of digital church post pandemic.
The government of Uganda has suspended 54 religious and humanitarian organizations working in the Christian majority country in a clampdown widely seen as politically motivated.
Amid a second wave of COVID-19 infections and low vaccine access in Uganda, the country has imposed a nationwide lockdown ending July 30 that has pushed nearly all activities online. Now, since July 1, the government has introduced a 12% tax on Internet data that was already expensive in the country, which is constraining church members’ ability to access online worship at a time when physical gatherings are banned.
The Uganda government’s suspension of a Western-funded grant has left the survival of more than 70 organizations, including 15 state agencies, hanging in the balance. The trouble between President Yoweri Museveni and the EU started in 2020 when Museveni suspected the West of backing his rivals. Then several Western countries criticized Uganda for falling short of required standards for a free and fair election.
After three different recent deaths of Muslim leaders in Uganda, some are questioning whether the men died of natural causes or foul play. A dozen sheikhs have been gunned down in the past 10 years, and the police and state have not secured any convictions.
Pastor Sirajje Ssemanda, known in Uganda for his luxurious lifestyle, worked with government officials to solicit fees from thousands of Ugandans who were told their money would grant them membership to government programs including scholarships and training trips abroad. But those promises never materialized.
A delay in the burial of a prominent Ugandan politician has divided the country’s Muslim community, with many arguing that burial must take place within 24 hours despite relatives needing to travel from abroad during a pandemic.
Despite a conflict with church law, a growing number of priests in Uganda are running for political office ahead of general elections in February. Many Christians in Uganda are dissatisfied with the current government’s protections for religious freedom.
Uganda allowed houses of worship to reopen this week with COVID-19 guidelines like wearing masks and social distancing. Many churches and mosques had overflow lines outside and multiple services, because the government limited services to 70 people. Clergy say the rules should be adjusted for larger buildings.
In 1977, an archbishop was shot dead for protesting human rights abuses. Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, in power for 34 years, denounces clergy activism. But this year, several pastors have joined in political activism for an opposition party, with one even running for president. They say Uganda needs leaders who understand religious freedom and Christian values.
Although St. Peter’s Church in Kampala had received their land through a donation, a title was never given, and the donor’s children sold the land. Thirteen people have been arrested so far in connection with the church’s demolition, which took place late at night during the government’s curfew hours for COVID-19.
The charity of American missionary Renee Bach, accused of causing more than 100 child deaths in Uganda, is now dissolved. Bach is accused of performing medical procedures without being a doctor. She settled out of court with two mothers who each lost a son.
In several districts of central and southwestern Uganda, places with high levels of poverty, a beacon of hope shines bright these days. It’s The Share the Light Gospel Initiative — led by an American couple, Brian and Mary Kluth through HealthyCharity.org — that’s illuminating lives and brightening the future of hundreds of Christian families.