Uganda

Uganda, located on the north and north-western shores of Lake Victoria, is a predominantly Christian country, with a significant Muslim minority (primarily Sunni), and a president, Yoweri Museveni, of some 34 years standing. The Christian population is divided between protestant denominations and Roman Catholics, accounting for 45% and 39% of the total population respectively. According to the most recent estimates (2014), only 0.2% of individuals identified as non-religious.[ref]https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ug.html[/ref]

Uganda is member state of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Constitution and government Education and children’s rights Family, community, society, religious courts and tribunals Freedom of expression advocacy of humanist values
Government authorities push a socially conservative, religiously or ideologically inspired agenda, without regard to the rights of those with progressive views
Religious schools have powers to discriminate in admissions or employment
Religious or ideological instruction is mandatory in at least some public schools (without secular or humanist alternatives)
There is significant social marginalisation of the non-religious or stigma associated with expressing atheism, humanism or secularism
Discriminatory prominence is given to religious bodies, traditions or leaders
Expression of core humanist principles on democracy, freedom or human rights is somewhat restricted
Blasphemy or criticism of religion is restricted in law and is punishable by a fine
Official symbolic deference to religion
Constitution and government
Official symbolic deference to religion
Education and children’s rights
Religious schools have powers to discriminate in admissions or employment
Religious or ideological instruction is mandatory in at least some public schools (without secular or humanist alternatives)
Family, community, society, religious courts and tribunals
Government authorities push a socially conservative, religiously or ideologically inspired agenda, without regard to the rights of those with progressive views
There is significant social marginalisation of the non-religious or stigma associated with expressing atheism, humanism or secularism
Discriminatory prominence is given to religious bodies, traditions or leaders
Freedom of expression advocacy of humanist values
Expression of core humanist principles on democracy, freedom or human rights is somewhat restricted
Blasphemy or criticism of religion is restricted in law and is punishable by a fine
Use of Conscientious Objection clauses resulting in the denial of lawful services to women and LGBTI+ people
Religious or ideological instruction is mandatory in all or most state-funded schools with no secular or humanist alternative
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report
The state is secular, with separation of religious and political authorities, not discriminating against any religion or belief
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report
image_pdfDownload this country entry as a PDF

Countries: no countries relate to this boundary condition

No condition holds in this strand
No condition holds in this strand
No condition holds in this strand
Religious courts or tribunals rule directly on some family or ‘moral’ matters; it is legally an opt-in system, but the possibility of social coercion is very clear
No condition holds in this strand
image_pdfDownload this country entry as a PDF

Countries: no countries relate to this boundary condition

Localised or infrequent but recurring and widespread social marginalisation or prejudice against the non-religious
image_pdfDownload this country entry as a PDF

This condition is unusual in that it is applied in cases where there is some social discrimination, but it is not pervasive or nationwide. This condition is applied when there is sufficient background evidence to warrant the assertion that discrimination is not anomalous but widespread, and this condition may be applied for example even where if there is no legislative discrimination or where the non-religious may have legal recourse against such discrimination. However, societal discrimination (i.e. discrimination by peers, as opposed to state or legal discrimination) is not easily measured, and for this reason the Report does not currently have similar more severe boundary conditions to capture higher levels of social discrimination per se. In principle these may be introduced in future. However, we consider that countries with actual higher levels of social discrimination against the non-religious will generally already meet other higher level (more severe) boundary conditions under this thematic strand.

Countries: Botswana, Greece, Serbia, United States of America

The dominant influence of religion in public life undermines the right to equality and/or non-discrimination
image_pdfDownload this country entry as a PDF

Applied when the influence of religion on public life undermines others’ rights, such as SRHR, women’s rights, LGBTI+ rights.

May be applied when the influence is overt (i.e. when religious laws are applied to undermine others’ rights) or covert (i.e. where religious pressure groups exert influence to affect policy)

Countries: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Congo, Democratic Republic of, Croatia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eswatini, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Oman, Paraguay, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, Zambia

The non-religious are persecuted socially or there are prohibitive social taboos against atheism, humanism or secularism
Complete tyranny precludes all freedoms of expression and thought, religion or belief
image_pdfDownload this country entry as a PDF

Applied when overriding acts of oppression by the State are extreme, to the extent that the question of freedom of thought and expression is almost redundant, because all human rights and freedoms are quashed by authorities.

Countries: North Korea

Expression of core Humanist principles on democracy, freedom and human rights is brutally repressed
Expression of non-religious views is severely persecuted, or is rendered almost impossible by severe social stigma, or is highly likely to be met with hatred or violence
There is significant social marginalisation of the non-religious or stigma associated with expressing atheism, humanism or secularism
Religious or ideological indoctrination is utterly pervasive in schools
There is a nominal state church with few privileges or progress is being made toward disestablishment
The non-religious are barred from some government offices (including posts reserved for particular religions or sects)
‘Apostasy’ is outlawed and punishable with a prison sentence
‘Apostasy’ or conversion from a specific religion is outlawed and punishable by death
Some religious courts rule in civil or family matters on a coercive or discriminatory basis
Religious authorities have supreme authority over the state
Preferential treatment is given to a religion or religion in general
image_pdfDownload this country entry as a PDF

This condition is applied where there are miscellaneous indicators that organs of the state offer various forms of support for a religion, or to religion in general over non-religious worldviews, suggesting a preference for those beliefs, or that the organs of that religion are privileged.

Countries: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zimbabwe

There is a pattern of impunity or collusion in violence by non-state actors against the nonreligious
State-funded schools provide religious education which may be nominally comprehensive but is substantively biased or borderline confessional
Religious or ideological instruction in a significant number of schools is of a coercive fundamentalist or extremist variety
image_pdfDownload this country entry as a PDF

This condition highlights countries where schools subject children to fundamentalist religious instruction with no real opportunity to question fundamentalist tenets, or where lessons routinely encourage hatred (for example religious or ethnic hatred). The wording “significant number of schools” is not given a rigid quantification (sometimes the worst-offending schools are unregistered, illegal, or otherwise uncounted); however the condition is not applied in cases where only a small number of schools meet the description and may be anomalous, as opposed to being indicative of a widespread problem.

Countries: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia

State legislation is largely or entirely derived from religious law or by religious authorities
Religious or ideological instruction is mandatory in at least some public schools (without secular or humanist alternatives)
‘Blasphemy’ or criticism of religion is outlawed and punishable by death
Government figures or state agencies openly marginalize, harass, or incite hatred or violence against the non-religious
It is illegal to advocate secularism or church-state separation, or such advocacy is suppressed
Quasi-divine veneration of a ruling elite is enforced, or a single-party regime holds uncontested power, subject to severe punishment
Legal or constitutional provisions exclude non-religious views from freedom of belief
It is illegal to register an explicitly Humanist, atheist, secularist or other non-religious NGO or other human rights organization, or such groups are persecuted by authorities
There is a religious tax or tithing which is compulsory, or which is state-administered and discriminates by precluding non-religious groups
The non-religious are barred from holding government office
Some concerns about children's right to specifically religious freedom
image_pdfDownload this country entry as a PDF

This condition may apply if specifically religious education, religious materials, or specific religious denominations are so tightly controlled that children are in fact over-protected from exposure to religion and are likely unable to explore or construct their own worldview in accordance with their evolving capacities. This condition helps us to classify states (perhaps with secular constitutions) which have criminalized specifically religious beliefs or practices. This condition is not applied if the restricted beliefs or practices are found to be outlawed due to their being of an extremist variety. While this condition does not directly reflect discrimination against non-religious persons or non-religious ideas, it does represent an overall threat to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief; such restrictions could spill over to affect non-religious beliefs later; and they pose a risk of backlash against over-zealous secular authorities or even against non-religious individuals by association.

Countries: China, Congo, Democratic Republic of, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guyana, Italy, Kazakhstan, Laos, Madagascar, Mexico, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe

It is illegal or unrecognised to identify as an atheist or as non-religious
It is made difficult to register or operate an explicitly Humanist, atheist, secularist or other non-religious NGO or other human rights organization
Legend
 
Severe Discrimination
Systemic Discrimination
Mostly Satisfactory
More information about rating table

Constitution and government

The Constitution[ref]https://www.statehouse.go.ug/government/constitution[/ref] and other laws and policies protect freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as well as freedom of expression, assembly and association (Articles 29 and 37 of the Constitution). However, in practice the government violates some of these rights, especially the freedom of the press.

There is no state religion (Article 7), and freedom of worship is constitutionally protected and respected in practice. The Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of “creed or religion” (Article 21(2)). The law prohibits the creation of political parties based on religion (Article 71(b)).

Religious groups are required to register as non-profit organizations with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau and then to secure a five-year operating license from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.[ref]https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-report-on-international-religious-freedom/uganda/[/ref] In September 2019, the government announced consultations before introducing a policy to regulate religious groups; the draft policy received strong opposition from some evangelical Christian churches.

Education and children’s rights

The Ugandan government has sanctioned the non-compulsory teaching of Christian and Muslim religions in school since 2008. The religious education curriculum is comparative in theory, but in practice aims at inculcation. Primary schools must teach either Christianity, Islam, or both in their social studies classes. Many schools teach both and let students select which one to attend. Primary school students may choose to answer either questions about Islam or Christianity during the religion portion of the national social studies exams.[ref]https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-report-on-international-religious-freedom/uganda/[/ref]

Religious instruction in public schools is optional at the secondary level. Secondary schools may choose which, if any, religious studies to incorporate into their curricula, and students who choose to attend that school must take the course offered. The state approves religious education curricula.

There are a small number of Humanist schools operating without impediment (the Humanists International and other humanist groups have supported these schools).

Failures in the protection of refugee children

According to UNICEF,[ref]https://www.unicef.org/appeals/uganda[/ref]

“Children make up 61 per cent of the affected population. Refugee children face a range of protection concerns, including violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.[…] One third of all primary-level children and 70 per cent of secondary-level children are out of school. The health sector regularly contends with re-emerging threats, including outbreaks of cholera, measles and polio. In 2019, some 16,500 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.”

Family, community and society

There is little or no interreligious conflict between the Christian majority and the Muslim minority, though 2014 saw a surge in inter-tribal conflict in the western Rwenzori region, reportedly related to historical kingdom boundaries and militant secessionist movements.[ref]crisis.acleddata.com/an-examination-of-recent-ethnic-violence-in-the-rwenzori-region-of-uganda/[/ref]

Churches and businesses named for religious figures and concepts are predominant in the city streets of Kampala. Marriages are often celebrated with traditional “Introductions” followed by a more Western-style weddings ceremony. There is a growing attention to humanist related activities and celebrations within the country spearheaded by a group of humanists conducting humanist ceremonies within the country.

Discrimination against religious minorities

Local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and media reported that the government disproportionately and unfairly arrested and imprisoned Muslims. The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) stated the government continued to discriminate against Muslims when hiring for public positions.[ref]https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-report-on-international-religious-freedom/uganda/[/ref]

Further, on 4 October 2019, a Christian man filed a lawsuit against all Muslims to prevent them from calling God by the name ‘Allah.'[ref]https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Man-sues-Muslims-for-naming-God-as-Allah-/688334-5322476-r37j5z/index.html[/ref] In a separate case, the same petitioner, was reportedly sentenced to three years in prison for contempt of court.[ref]https://observer.ug/news/headlines/67522-supreme-court-justices-jail-petitioner-for-3-years-for-abusing-them[/ref]

LGBTI+ rights

Members of the LGBTI+ community face daily harassment and discrimination. According to Out Right International,[ref]https://outrightinternational.org/content/uganda-plans-re-introduce-anti-homosexuality-act[/ref]

“Same-sex relations are have been criminalized in Uganda since British colonial times. Articles on “unnatural offenses” and “indecent practices” have been retained in the Penal Code since independence. “Carnal knowledge against the order of nature” between men carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.”

In October 2019, members of parliament announced that they were seeking to re-introduce the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2014 (which was thrown out by the Supreme Court on a technicality).[ref]https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/15/ugandan-mps-press-for-death-penalty-for-homosexual-acts; iheu.org/museveni-set-to-sign-ugandas-anti-gay-bill-based-on-false-reading-of-science/; iheu.org/the-anti-gay-law-in-uganda-iheu-analysis/[/ref] The government were, however, quick to dispel concerns.[ref]https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-uganda-lgbt-government/uganda-moves-to-allay-fears-over-anti-gay-sex-law-idUSKBN1X425S[/ref]

Freedom of expression, advocacy of humanist values

The Constitution provides for freedom of speech, but the media have faced substantial, escalating government restrictions and intimidation in recent years. Freedom of assembly is officially recognized but often restricted in practice.

According to the US State Department:[ref]https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-report-on-international-religious-freedom/uganda/[/ref]

“The law prohibits secular broadcasters from stating opinions on religious doctrine or faith. The law also prohibits radio and television stations from broadcasting advertisements that “promote psychic practices or practices related to the occult,” material that encourages persons to change their faith, and content that uses or contains blasphemy. The government, however, seldom enforces these provisions of the law.”

De facto “blasphemy” law

Chapter 13, Articles 118-122, of the Penal Code Act[ref]https://ulii.org/ug/legislation/consolidated-act/120[/ref] outline offences relating to religion.

Article 122 states:

“Any person who, with the deliberate intention of wounding the religious feelings of any other person, writes any word, or any person who, with the like intention, utters any word or makes any sound in the hearing of any other person or makes any gesture or places any object in the sight of any other person, commits a misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for one year.”

Testimonies

“Being a non-religious organisation, what we do has unfortunately attracted hate from several people who now brand us as Satanic, or “un-African”. I have been attacked on Facebook, and during radio appearances I have been abused on air.

… At about 3 am [on 30 October 2014], unidentified persons came to my home, the maid says she heard people moving around the house and trying to open her window and in a few minutes, there was commotion and then there was a bang and the fire started. They set the car ablaze. It is a trying moment to me and my young family, my children are greatly traumatized. Thanks to my good neighbors who came to my rescue and my family was saved. The entire house could have burnt down! I have contacted the police and the … arson has been reported. … I will continue working for humanism, doing my job at HALEA more determined than ever. Regardless of the hate and persecutions, our struggle to empower the minds of our people should continue, whether I am around or not.”

— Kato Mukasa