Uganda’s indigenous religion includes Islam, and Christianity.
Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in the country. Around 84.5% of the population practices one of several Christian denominations.
Christians are primarily divided between Roman Catholics and Protestants -mostly Anglicans but also including Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists, and Presbyterians.
Uganda has also a reasonable population of the Moslems community-The first non-indigenous religion to reach this country.
Muslims began arriving from the east coast of Africa in the 1830’s. British explorers made their way here in the 1860’s. After learning some of the teachings of the Christian religion, the Baganda king requested that the Queen of England send missionaries. The first Protestant missionaries arrived in 1877. They were soon followed by French Catholic missionaries in 1879. The two denominations soon began a rivalry in the courts which was respected by the local culture and helped to spread the religion. l
Sunni Islam in Uganda
Sunni Islam is practiced by 12.1% of the population and another 1.6% practices some other branch of Islam, such as Shia, Ahmadiyya, or others. As previously mentioned, this religion arrived to the area in the 1800’s by way of Muslims coming from the east coast of Africa for trade.
The Baganda king first converted to Islam before inviting Christian missionaries which initially helped the spread of the religion. In 1971, the country had its first Muslim president. His immigration policies led to the removal of large numbers of Asians from the country which reduced the number of Muslims in Uganda. Today, the biggest populations of Muslims can be found in the central and eastern regions of the country.
Other Beliefs in Uganda
A small population practices indigenous religions, Buddhism, the Baha’i Faith, or Hinduism. Indigenous beliefs are typically practiced in conjunction with the other more widely practiced religions. For example, around 27% of the population believes that reverence of spirits and remembrance of ancestors can protect them from bad luck.
Despite the constitutional provisions for the protection of freedom of religion, cases of religious persecution have been reported.
Some Christian churches have received threats of violence and some Christian converts have been attacked, killed, and excommunicated by Muslim family members. The government also refuses to register some churches that have been ruled as cults rather than religions.
Local authorities have also detained certain individuals for practicing non-registered religions. Those that have been found guilty have been sentenced to pay a fine and to complete community service. Additionally, the law prohibits the practice and congregation of any political party that is based on a religion
Missionaries together with several Ugandans initiated the balokole -“born again” revival, which spread throughout Uganda.
A small number of Abayudaya Jews live in communities in eastern Uganda, the descendants of converts to Judaism in the 1920s. Until 1972, when Asians were expelled from Uganda, large numbers of Sikhs and Hindus lived throughout the country; in recent years, with returning South Asian practitioners, Sikhism and Hinduism have been reestablished in the country.
According to the 2014 National Census, 13.7 percent of Ugandans adhered to Islam. Most Muslims are Sunni, with a large minority of Ahmadis. The Iganga District in the east of Uganda has the highest percentage of Muslims. Notable Moslems are also in areas of Mpigi and Masaka districts
Bahá’í Faith
The Bahá’í Faith in Uganda started to grow in 1951 and in four years time there were 500 Bahá’ís in 80 localities, including 13 Bahá’í Local Spiritual Assemblies, representing 30 tribes, and had dispatched 9 pioneers to other African locations. Following the reign of Idi Amin when the Bahá’í Faith was banned and the murder of Bahá’í Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga and his family, the community continues to grow though estimates of the population range widely from 19,000 to 105,000 and the community’s involvements have included diverse efforts to promote the welfare of the Ugandan people. One of only seven Bahá’í Houses of Worship in the world, known as Mother Temple of Africa, is located on the outskirts of Kampala in Kikaya.
Traditional Beliefs
About 1 percent of Uganda’s populations follow traditional religions only; however, more people practice traditional religious practices along with other religions such as Christianity or Islam.
No religion
Only 0.9 percent of Ugandans claim no religion. The Uganda Humanist Association is a member of the International Humanist and Ethical Union has been registered since 1996. Most Ugandans freely choose a religion to belong since it’s their right.