Religious leaders under the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) have issued a pastoral letter urging citizens to act responsibly, peacefully, and with national interest in mind as the country heads into next week’s general elections.
In the 11-page pastoral letter, clerics drawn from all major faiths called on voters to reflect carefully on their choices, warning that decisions made at the ballot box carry far-reaching consequences for the country.
“We are writing this pastoral guide to remind one another of our responsibilities at such a crucial time in the life of our nation,” the religious leaders said. They urged voters to be prayerful, sober, and mindful of the broader implications of their decisions beyond personal interests.
“We therefore implore all citizens, as the primary stakeholders in this process, to be prayerful, sober, and mindful of the far-reaching implications of their choices. Let each voter weigh their decisions not only in light of personal interest, but also in light of the common good, national unity, and the dignity of every Ugandan,” the letter reads.
The clerics cautioned against actions that could plunge the country back into instability, recalling Uganda’s troubled past marked by political, ethnic, religious, regional, and economic divisions.
“Our country carries wounds that are political, ethnic, religious, regional, economic, and generational. Many of these divisions are rooted in history and structural injustice that cannot be fully addressed at the ballot box alone,” they said, adding that there is a need to revive the spirit of national dialogue.
Beyond voters, the religious leaders also addressed other key stakeholders in the electoral process, including the Electoral Commission, candidates, political parties, the media, security agencies, Parliament, the Executive, and the Judiciary.
“We underscore the grave responsibility carried by other stakeholders in this period. Their actions must be guided by the national Constitution,” the clerics said.
Ugandans will go to the polls on Thursday next week to elect the President and Members of Parliament. The presidential race has attracted eight candidates, among them incumbent Yoweri Museveni of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), Robert Kyagulanyi of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Nathan Nandala Mafabi of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), and Maj Gen (rtd) Mugisha Muntu of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).
Other contenders are Mubarak Munyagwa of the Common Man’s Party, Frank Bulira Kabinga of the Revolutionary People’s Party, Elton John Mabirizi of the Conservative Party, and Robert Kasibante of the National Peasants Party.
According to the Electoral Commission, a total of 83,597 candidates were nominated to compete for 45,505 positions in the presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections.
In their concluding remarks, the clerics urged citizens to appreciate the weight of the decisions they will make during the polls.
“This is mainly because of the concerns and fears that you have expressed to us, and the feeling that these elections might mark a watershed in our political journey,” they said.
The pastoral letter was signed by leaders of major religious denominations, including Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu of the Church of Uganda, Mufti Ramadhan Mubaje, Bishop Anthony Zziwa of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Jeronymos Muzeeyi of the Orthodox Church, and Pastor Samuel Kajoba of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Uganda.