The Archbishop of Church of Uganda, Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu has tasked leaders in the East African region to stop involving youth in their political wars.
The archbishop, who was on Thursday visiting immigrants at Nakivale refugee settlement camp in Isingiro District where the Church of Uganda supported refugees with different essential items, said it is unfair for young people to be involved in fights that lead to loss of lives without any reason.
‘It is very disheartening to leave your homes, relatives and go to different places because of war but as the Church of Uganda, we have already visited and given our contributions. I want to make an appeal to each one of us here and outside the country to ensure that peace is really given attention,’ he said.
He added: ‘People, leaders, every person should ensure things to do with fighting are stopped. Let us promote the spirit of speaking to one another. Because when we fight many other people will suffer.”
His comments come after 95 of National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters were arrested and arraigned before different courts across the country to answer traffic offences, robbery, malicious damage, and unlawful drilling.
‘War is the place where young people who do not know each other, who don’t hate each other fight each other. They are fighting and yet they don’t know each other, they kill each other and yet they do not have any problem,’ he said before adding that ‘but because of the decisions of old people who hate each other who fight each other and don’t kill each other at the end of the war they shake hands and they eat together and the innocent people die for nothing,’
Mr Kaziimba said women and children are usually the most affected during political and civil wars which leave the country without a future.
‘The children, the women die, the youth die so I want to call upon leaders in the great lakes region to please meet and talk to each other about how to end war so that innocent people do not suffer.so that people can come together and agree on the way forward that is what we want because we may come here and pray for you but needs are continuing,’ he said.
The National Field and Emergence Coordinator in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr John Bosco Ssentamu who looked miserable while responding to the call said the biggest population of refugees in Uganda which is close to 1.9m people is dominated by children.
‘The refugee population in Uganda, 50 percent of them are below the age of 18 so meaning there are a lot of needs in terms of social services. Apart from the children, the next big population are the women and these people come with a lot of needs,’ he said.
Mr Ssentamu said with the decreased support from donor funding, they have struggled to give the refugees necessary essential services.
The government of Uganda in partnership with UNHCR and other agencies, development and humanitarian have tried our best to give them the semblance of life they have been living in their countries of origin. But with donor cuts we are really struggling to maintain these people in a decent environment,’ he said.
According to OPM, as of October 2025, the refugees in Uganda were 1.9 million people and it is estimated that before the end of the year, they will have reached two million people. Nakivale Refugee Settlement camp hosts 273,000 people in Isingiro District.