Prominent opposition leaders were noticeably absent from the Inter-religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) meeting, which aimed to reconcile differences between political leaders and religious figures.
The meeting, chaired by Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu of the Church of Uganda, was attended by opposition politicians under the United Forces for Change, led by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi.
The absence of leaders like Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, Dr. Kizza Besigye, and Mugisha Muntu was due to the fact that the meeting had originally been planned for their participation.
However, they did not show up.
Ssenyonyi explained that these leaders were supposed to be part of the engagement, but they are currently under house arrest or on the run.
“Others are on the run simply because they are raising their voices about poor service delivery and the ongoing injustice,”he said.
The opposition leaders have been urging citizens to demonstrate the impact of the road crisis during the international summits taking place in the country.
As a result, heavy security has been deployed around their homes.
This movement has gained momentum on social media, with individuals sharing photos and stories highlighting the daily difficulties they face due to poorly maintained roads. The campaign aims to draw attention to the urgent need for infrastructure improvements and government accountability.
In addition to the demonstration, the leaders had announced plans for joint prayers in Iganga District on January 22 and Lira District on January 23.
However, Lewis Rubongoya, the Secretary General of the National Unity Platform (NUP), stated that the engagement did not take place because their leader is still under house arrest.
“Our president is still on the run, and they are actively searching for him to arrest him. Therefore, we have decided to postpone these engagements. We will inform you of the rescheduled prayer dates,”he said.
Rubongoya also mentioned that the prayers in Lira have been postponed out of respect for the late legislator Cecilia Ogwal, who passed away last week.
During a closed-door meeting with interreligious leaders, Ssenyonyi urged the Inter-religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) to speak out against state-sponsored abductions and injustices.
He highlighted that the IRCU has seven core values, including justice, and urged them to use their platforms to address the injustices in the country.
“Many of them already speak out. There are Ugandans who have been killed during the political process, and justice has not been served. There are Ugandans who are missing, such as the Kibalamas, Vincent Nalumonso, Ddamulira, Martin Lukwago, Godfrey Kisembo, Hassan Mubiru, and many others. When religious leaders speak out, it makes a difference,” he emphasized.
Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu of the Church of Uganda stated that their role as religious leaders is to ensure that all Ugandans receive equal attention. He mentioned that an agreement had been reached.
” They had previously expressed interest in reaching out to us for prayers, but it didn’t work out because they didn’t follow the proper channels. We have a coordinating office here at the secretariat. They wrote to individuals, and some letters even arrived late,” he explained.
“But now we have established proper guidelines. If they have anything to discuss, our secretariat and the secretary general are here to ensure coordination, as they have done this time,” he added.
Late last year, religious leaders drew criticism for snubbing opposition-organised prayers for the nation. Accusations of government bias and discrimination against the opposition were leveled
