John Semakula

For Uganda’s Christians, the Way of the Cross is more than a ritual — it is a powerful affirmation of faith, an expression of gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice and a moment of deep collective introspection. By uniting believers across denominations and walks of life, the procession continues to embody the core message of Easter: In Christ, there is redemption, unity and the promise of eternal life.

To achieve this, many churches have embraced technological advancements, including mobile mission vans, online services, loudspeakers, radio, and television, to share the gospel directly with the community. Others have organized crusades and preached on the streets as part of the growing outreach program.

The rise in land disputes involving religious institutions in Uganda has triggered a trend of demolishing of churches and mosques throughout the country, raising religious freedom concerns over safety regarding places of worship. The issue has become a major problem across the country, a trend that has intensified over the last four years.

Despite endless efforts to unite Muslims, the UMSC has continued to grapple with political interference and internal power struggles. In the years following the overthrow of Amin, the UMSC faced intense persecution and violence with many senior leaders who had supported Amin going into hiding or fleeing into exile. The roots of these internal conflicts trace back to the very foundation of UMSC.

The government of Uganda officially recognized the Muslim martyrs who were killed on the orders of a local king starting in 1874 — and allocated $52,926 to organize this year’s Muslim Martyrs’ Day commemorations. This is the first time Muslims in Uganda organized an official commemoration for the Muslim martyrs. In the past, only Catholics and Anglicans participated in official celebrations.

One of the country’s biggest church communities will celebrate its 40th anniversary this month with a series of events, including a book launch by its founders, a new music album and an agribusiness institute. In fact, the celebrations by Watoto Church Ministries highlight their extensive contributions to community development and spiritual growth.

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.

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.