UHRC boss asks govt to expedite law to regulate evangelical churches

Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) chairperson Mariam Wangadya has raised alarm over manipulation of believers by some pastors, urging government to expedite formulation of laws to regulate their activities.

Her urge comes amid 2024 Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) figures suggesting that Pentecostals or born-again churches are the fastest-growing Christian religious group in Uganda, increasing from 11.1 percent in 2014 to 14.7 percent in 2023—a growth of 3.6 percent.

Speaking in Kampala ahead of the December 10 International Human Rights Day, Wangadya emphasized need for policies to govern religious institutions, citing numerous complaints received by UHRC.

“We were summoned by the Human Rights Committee to discuss this matter. A key question raised was whether legislation is needed to govern religious leaders. Unlike Catholics, Muslims and Anglicans, who have established mechanisms for dispute resolution, Pentecostal churches—being more loosely organized—are particularly vulnerable to abuse and manipulation,” she highlighted.

According to Wangadya, UHRC has engaged religious leaders, particularly Pentecostal leaders, on public concerns including manipulation of churchgoers, but many have denied involvement in manipulative practices.

Non- Governmental Organization (NGOs) Bureau executive director, Stephen Okello urged all faith-based organizations to register with the bureau as NGOs saying the government will soon be concluding policy which will address issues affecting faith based-organization.

Ruth Ssekindi, the Director of Monitoring and Inspections at UHRC, revealed that investigations and documentation of issues arising from churches have been completed, but progress is being delayed by parliament.

“Some religious leaders have instructed people to give everything they have to the church, leaving them unable to afford school fees for their children. Instances of sexual abuse and exploitation of women within churches have also been documented,” Ssekindi noted.

She added: “We have raised concerns about the rape and defilement of children in churches. Most importantly, we have highlighted the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.”

Ssekindi said that when Africans face problems, they often turn to churches or traditional shrines in search of divine intervention, which creates opportunities for exploitation.

“The Commission expressed concern about manipulation, extortion, and deceit within religious institution,” she remarked.

Reacting to UHRC remarks, Born-Again Pastor Martin Ssempa also decried manipulation by prominent churches, noting that “they are often heavily guarded.”

He urged UHRC to investigate such churches rather than focusing on smaller ones.

“Many people give away their rent money, others even surrender their phones and transportation funds. This is a significant issue I've been speaking about for over 20 years," Pastor Ssempa said.

He added: "There’s much talk about ‘sowing seeds’ (disguised offertoty) where people are told that if they give a certain amount, they will receive blessings or have their problems solved. In some large churches in town, they even ask you to write your problems on a big chart and pay a fee for it."

Pastor Sempa explained that disguised church activities have been used by self-proclaimed pastors as a pathway to enrichment.

"This issue of giving money at the end of the year, during the so-called passover, needs to be reviewed. Many pastors make substantial amounts of money during this period," he added.

"Why is the military supporting these people? That needs to be looked into. Why is the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) allowing this? What guidelines exist to protect people from financial exploitation and manipulation, if a pastor uses spiritual abuse to take my car, where do I report? Which police officers are properly trained to handle such cases? These are the questions that need answers," Pastor Sempa argued.  

Uganda has hundreds of churches littered across the country, with little government control over the sector.