Tooro, Rwenzori religious leaders back policy to regulate churches

Religious leaders and members of faith organizations from the Tooro and Rwenzori sub-regions have given their approval for the government to formulate the National Religious and Faith Organizations Policy, 2023 (RFOs) in the country.

This initiative is being led by the Directorate for Ethics and Integrity (DEI) in the Office of the President.

During the regional validation meeting on the revised draft policy held in Fort Portal City on April 11, the religious leaders unanimously agreed on the necessity of having a policy to govern their operation citing concerns of excessive manipulation and extortion of money from congregations by some leaders within RFOs.

Bishop Ibrahim Musinguzi, the regional overseer for United Pentecostal Churches International of Uganda, said the policy is long overdue for implementation because the country has registered numerous regrettable incidents that could have been prevented if the policy was in place.

"We needed this policy yesterday, especially concerning accountability. Some church or mosque leaders are not answerable to their congregations, and there are instances where institutions receive significant sums of money that remain unaccounted for. With the introduction of this new policy, let us all embrace it because it lays the foundation for future generations," he said.

Bishop Musinguzi suggested that the policy consider exempting long-standing Pentecostal churches from the five-year renewal requirement for registration from the government arguing that churches that have existed for over 20 years should be recognized by the government without the need for periodic renewal.

Mr Kyensi Buruhan, the District Secretary of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council for Tooro Muslim districts, said the lack of government regulation in the past years has led to the proliferation of unscrupulous religious organizations whose leaders extort money from believers.

"Due to the absence of regulation, when disagreements arise among religious or faith leaders, some have been breaking away and forming their independent faiths without the knowledge of the government or the respective religious authorities. We believe that this time the government will assist us, and we propose that they should also be involved in setting criteria for theological education. This would ensure that individuals aspiring to become religious leaders possess specific qualifications, rather than allowing anyone to simply wake up and start a church or mosque," he said.

Mr Nicholas Abola, Commissioner of Information and Communication from the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity, said the policy aims to establish standards for the operation of RFOs to ensure transparency and accountability.

"The policy does not aim to impose taxes on offerings, contrary to what many people believe, nor does the government seek to restrict freedom of worship. It's important to clarify that the government has no intention of taxing offertories because they are not considered taxable income. The government is not requiring RFOs to report their financial resources to the government. Rather, the objective is to ensure that RFOs are accountable to their congregations," he said.

He said formulating the policy will assist in handling complaints from the public about the conduct of RFO leaders regarding manipulation, unethical behavior, and criminal offenses like defilement within their congregations.

Some of the policy's objectives include enhancing transparency and accountability, building public trust, promoting integrity among RFOs, reducing interfaith conflicts, fostering unity and harmonious coexistence, and strengthening collaboration between RFOs and the government.