Kampala, Uganda
Two groups of religious leaders in Uganda have petitioned the courts of law challenging a government’s decision to impose a recurrent lockdown on places of worship.
One group, led by Pastor Peter Wisdom Katumba of Charis Fellowship Limited and Imam Muhammad Bbale of Taqwa Mosque, petitioned the nation’s High Court on 3rd August, decrying the continued closure of places of worship, while restrictions were loosened upon other entities.
Pastor Peter Wisdom Katumba of Charis Fellowship Limited one of the clergies who have dragged government to court for the recurrent closure of places of worship in Uganda. PICTURE: Facebook picture.
The group sued Uganda’s Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng, the Permanent Secretary, Diana Atwine, and the Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka. Pastor Katumba and Imam Bbale are seeking an order compelling government to reopen churches and mosques for physical worship.
A second group of petitioners, led by Pastor Barlow Jack Antony of Reigning in Life Ministries, petitioned the East African Community Court of Justice in Arusha, Tanzania – a court which Uganda subscribes to as a member of the East African Community.
In their petitions, the two groups contend that the government’s decision to keep places of worship closed while other public places are open is both unfair, discriminatory and violates freedom of worship.
Pastor Katumba and Imam Bbale also challenged the government’s directive to churches to resort to online worship during the lockdown. They argue that ordering places of worship to go virtual in Uganda where internet connection covers only 50 per cent of the country’s total population and Internet Data is too expensive to afford is a big joke.
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni on 30th July ordered the extension of the lockdown on places of worship for another 60 days but loosened the lockdown on crowded public places such as markets, taxi parks and arcades. Museveni argued that places of worship are a hot bed for spreading the coronavirus pandemic and refused to unlock them.
Prior to announcing the extension, places of worship had been under a total lockdown for 42 days. And last year, they were also closed for over eight months during the first ever COVID-19 lockdown.
The recurrent lockdowns have left religious leaders in the country desperate for resources to manage their churches and family affairs.
Before the lockdown, the clergy in Uganda relied mainly on offertory collected during physical worship to run the churches and provide for families.
During President Museveni’s COVID-19 address to the nation on 30th July, he also urged churches “to embrace virtual worship since God is found everywhere”. But while the clergy were still struggling to adopt to the virtual church, the government introduced a 12 per cent tax on internet data in July that has resulted in an increase in data prices and left clergy and the faithful grumbling.
Rev Dr Grace Lubaale, of the Anglican Church of the Resurrection in Bugolobi, a suburb in Kampala, told Sight that the high cost of internet data doesn’t allow clergy to spend time preaching to the flock to understand. He said they preach for a shorter time and ask the flock to go and read on its own.
The petitioners in the two cases now want court to declare that the recurrent closure, ban and or suspension of places of worship by the respondents is unjust, arbitrary, disproportionate, discriminatory, unjustifiable and violates the applicants’ right to practice, manifest, enjoy, profess, maintain and promote their religion under articles, 20, 21, 29, 37 and 43 of the Constitution of Uganda.
When contacted for a comment, the Ministry of Health spokesperson, Emmanuel Ainebyoona referred Sight to the Attorney General who was not readily available. At the time of writing, the High Court in Uganda was yet to assign a judge to handle the case.
