Mr Wilfred Arinda Nshekantebirwe
The political season has once again returned: fast, fiery, and ferocious. The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries are underway, and Uganda’s familiar political theatre is in full swing. Towns and villages throb with slogans, posters, promises, and persuasion. Everyone is standing. Everyone is mobilising.
Everyone wants a piece of the future. But in the midst of this frenzy, another storm is brewing, one less noisy but far more insidious: the politicisation of the Church. Uganda is a country of deep religious roots. Churches and mosques are not just houses of worship, they are cultural lighthouses, moral anchor points, and community safe havens.
For generations, the Church has been the spiritual compass of this land. It has held us steady through war, poverty, disease, and political chaos. Yet today, that sacred institution is under siege, not from outside, but from within. Altars are morphing into campaign platforms, sermons into endorsements, and spiritual leaders into political influencers.
Some now operate like regional campaign coordinators, subtly (and sometimes openly) urging their flock to vote for certain candidates, not because of integrity, vision, or competence, but because of shared religion, tribe, or sectarian allegiance. This is not only wrong; it is catastrophic.
The Church’s divine mandate is not to crown politicians, but to prepare souls for heaven. It is not to ignite rivalry, but to cleanse hearts of hatred and nurture unity, peace, forgiveness, and love. The house of God must remain a place where all tribes kneel together, not a battleground where candidates are anointed and holy robes become campaign uniforms. We are walking a dangerous road.
The Church must not become a consultancy for politicians. It must not offer its moral credibility as collateral for political expediency. The pulpit is not a place for political seduction; it is a place for truth-telling, for healing, for national conscience. Once the Church descends into factional politics, it loses its prophetic power and becomes just another noisy gong in the marketplaces of self-interest.
Religious leaders who urge followers to vote based on faith or tribe are fanning embers that once plunged nations into genocide. That brand of sectarian evangelism is neither holy nor harmless. It is a betrayal of Uganda. We must reject this toxic trend with everything we've got. The Church’s role is not to tribalise elections or baptise mediocrity with holy water. It is to challenge injustice, to amplify the cries of the poor, to hold the powerful accountable, and to elevate values, not personalities. The Church must be radically active, not by choosing sides, but by raising standards. Not by embracing political parties, but by exposing political failure. The true Church must be a moral insurgent, a disruptive force of righteousness, a fearless voice in a nation addicted to silence. It should name the community’s challenges boldly so that leaders feel the weight of their responsibility. That is holy work. What is not holy is the creeping sectarianism disguised as religious preference. We must not tolerate the whispering campaign of "vote for your kind.”
That is the language that shatters nations. We need a Church on fire, not with political fever, but with prophetic courage. A Church that shakes the ground when it speaks; which cannot be bought, borrowed, or bullied; and stands tall when the state staggers. To the religious leaders still holding the line, thank you. To those who have become mouthpieces for political parties and agents of tribal politics, who have lost their way in the political fog, history is watching, and heaven is not amused. And to all Ugandans, let us remember that our country is bigger than any candidate, party, or religion. Let us cast our votes not in the name of tribe or faith, but in the name of truth, progress, peace, and dignity. May our pulpits remain pure, our politics remain peaceful, our people united. And above all, may God bless Uganda with a dignified, free, and truly peaceful electoral season, one that honours both democracy and divinity.
The author, Mr Wilfred Arinda Nshekantebirwe is the LC5 Male Youth Councillor for Rubanda District
