Interreligious Groups in Uganda Set to Hold Prayers Ahead of Elections

CANAA || By Father Don Bosco Onyalla, Nairobi || 11 February 2016

The various religious groupings under the Inter Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) have planned to conduct prayers for peace, unity and stability in the country ahead of the general elections in just a week.

There are just over 15 million Ugandans expected to vote in presidential, parliamentary and local elections next Thursday, February 18 out of an estimated population of 37 million.

The three-day spiritual activity has been scheduled to begin this Friday, February 12 through Sunday, February 14 in view of accommodating the various religions and their days of worship in their respective places of worship.

The Muslims are expected to hold their prayer day this Friday while the Seventh Day Adventists have scheduled their prayer day for Saturday, February 13.

Meanwhile, prayers for peaceful elections by the various Christian denominations in Uganda, among them the Catholics, Anglicans, Orthodox, Pentecostals, and Evangelicals, have been planned for Sunday, February 14.

The incumbent, President Yoweri Museveni who has governed Uganda for 30 years, is seeking another five-year term on the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM),

In 2005, President Museveni won a campaign to lift the constitutional term limits, paving to extend his rule, which would have ended in May 2006.

Kizza Besigye who is the main opposition candidate of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has unsuccessfully stood against President Museveni in the previous three presidential elections (2001, 2006, and 2011).

He has been reported as saying that voter bribery could be one of the obstacles to his victory.

Another presidential candidate, Amama Mbabazi, who served as Uganda’s Prime Minister in 2011-2014 is standing as an independent for the GoForward pressure group.

Mr. Mbabazi fell out with President Museveni after announcing he would launch a rival presidential bid.

Media reports have indicated that the other five candidates are unlikely to have any meaningful impact on the outcome of the elections.