By Peter Kahindi

A few weeks ago, at the height of the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stages, a prominent city church leader prophesied that, having been guided by divine authority, one of four teams would win the cherished trophy: 

Argentina, Brazil, France, or Portugal.

We had to admire his courage. Later, we laughed at his folly.

In Uganda, anyone can start their version of a church (which term you will allow me to use here to refer to all these religious institutions that fall within scope). 

With the right strategy, charisma, and any other tactic at their disposal, any character here can pull off the launch of an entire religion. 

In our view, the State owes its citizens a duty to protect them against harm from external, internal forces, and even some of the citizens themselves. 

This harm can manifest in various forms, most of which are very difficult to define. 

On the internet, the definition of “Religion” comes up as, “…a cultural system of beliefs, values, and practices that connect humanity to the spiritual, transcendental, or supernatural.”

Religion is a fluid and mysterious concept, which factors make it necessary for any serious State to regulate all shapes and forms of activity that fall within its definition. 

In our beloved motherland, we are not short of reasons for this regulation to be urgent.

On 17^th March, 2000, at least 700 (seven hundred) citizens perished by fire at the hands of one Fr. Joseph Kibwetwere in the South Western district of Kanungu.

Several news outlets reported on this unbelievable incident, but we believe that the story that the BBC released 20 years after it happened did it most justice.

This especially because it was an elaborate reminder of the sheer intensity of the activities that led to those deaths.

It focused us on how easily people were swayed into a sham belief system, and reminded us to reflect on this as the basis for paying more attention to the influence that religion can have on citizens.

We have also been witnesses to the sheer manipulation that some church leaders have taken citizens through over time. 

Remember Pastor Sirajje (?) Ssemanda of the Revival Church in Bombo?

In 2023, Pastor Ssemanda and his sidekick were convicted by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate for having defrauded over five thousand unsuspecting Ugandans out of amounts in excess of Sh. 4,000,000,000 (Four billion Uganda shillings). 

He had promised their victims scholarships abroad and “hook-ups” to the Operation Wealth Creation government program. It was all fake.

The Pastor was handed a two-year sentence and further ordered to pay a fine of Sh. 400,000,000 (Four hundred million Uganda shillings). 

Cases of the kind above have often made national news, sometimes drawing the attention of the political leadership at Ministerial level. 

These incidents may seem like one-offs, but there are some that are not given as much limelight and yet occur on a weekly basis.

The government, and various non-government institutions, are mandated to follow specific accountability, regulatory compliance and governance requirements. 

Notwithstanding the size of their congregations or the magnitude of their social-political influence, churches should NOT be an exception.

Exempting a church from strict scrutiny is not just harmful; it is dangerous to the citizens of a country like ours. It is a recipe for criminality and lawlessness. 

We have seen the signs.

A person who collects billions every week or month where there are no accountability mechanisms in place to inform the State about the difference between institution and personal funds is a potential threat to society. 

We can not allow this debate to be lowered to the “we are self-accounting” approach. 

No, thank you!

The lack of strict regulation of churches has created a shield between rich and powerful church leaders and ordinary citizens. 

If an ordinary citizen did some of the things these church leaders do, they would face serious criminal sanctions.

There is still hope. Efforts are being made to formulate policies for this. 

The Religious Faith Organizations (RFO) Policy, spearheaded by the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity in the President’s Office, stands out.

But there is still a need to fast-track the RFO Policy. It has sat on the shelves for the last 10 years. 

It is also our humble submission that wider consultations ought to have been made in order to obtain more buy-in beyond the initial and now concluded consultations.

This Policy ought to take centre-stage in our public dialogue so that we debate it elaborately and start making use of it to protect the more gullible Ugandans. 

Uganda needs a strong regulation that governs the establishment of a church, minimum standards and qualifications, the requisite permits, background checks, and recommendations. These churches must also meet the requirement for global-compliant structures including Boards of Directors, unyielding Occupational Safety and Health standards, filing of returns and open accountability measures.

The endeavour needs input from across the board, including those who have vehemently opposed it. 

We need the regulation because citizens look up to those capable of making a contribution towards national policies that protect them from harm. 

That’s you and me.

We cannot leave this to God alone.

21.07.2026