Religion in Uganda consists of several different religions, helping to accentuate regional and ethnic distinctions.
The National Census of October 2002 resulted in the clearest and most detailed information yet gathered on the religious composition of Uganda.
History
Muslim traders and Christian missionaries first arrived in the 1860s, attempting to convert the Ugandan king.citation needed
Indigenous beliefs
Only 1% of Uganda's population follow traditional religions.
Christianity
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According to the National Census of October 2002, Christians of all denominations made up 85.1% of Uganda's population.[1] The Catholic Church has the largest number of adherents (41.9%), followed by the Anglican Church of Uganda, a part of the worldwide Anglican communion (35.9%). Minor Christian groups include Pentecostals (4.6%) and Seventh-Day Adventists (1.5%), while 1.0% were grouped under the category "Other Christians".[1]
Islam
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According to the National Census 2002 12.1% of Ugandas adhere to Islam.[1] While Muslims today appear to be experiencing some degree of discrimination, they were in the seventies the most favoured group under the rule of President Idi Amin, himself a Muslim, under whose government the number of Muslims had significantly grown.citation needed
Judaism
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Judaism is also practiced in Uganda by a small number of native Ugandans known to most people as the Abayudaya. However, their small population size, estimated at 850, leads many Ugandans to not be aware of this Jewish presence. Initially numbering as many as 3,000 individuals, the community drastically shrunk in size to 300 when Idi Amin came to power and outlawed Judaism, destroying all the synagogues in the country. Since then, the community has established links to Jews worldwide and has grown in size and strength. They operate several schools which enroll Muslim, Jewish and Christian students.citation needed
Besides the Abayudaya there are an estimated 100 (un-organized) expatriate Jews of Israeli, South African and American origin residing in Uganda, mainly in Kampala.
Hinduism
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Only 0.7% of Uganda's population are classified as 'Other Non-Christians,' including Hindus.
Bahá'í Faith
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Bahá'í House of Worship, Kampala, Uganda
The Bahá'í Faith in Uganda started to grow in 1951 and in four years time there were 500 Bahá'ís in 80 localities, including 13 Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assemblies, representing 30 tribes, and had dispatched 9 pioneers to other African locations.[2] Following the reign of Idi Amin when the Bahá'í Faith was banned and the murder of Bahá'í Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga and his family,[3] the community continues to grow though estimates of the population range widely from 19,000 to 105,000 and the community's involvements have included diverse efforts to promote the welfare of the Ugandan people. One of only seven Bahá'í Houses of Worship, known as Mother Temple of Africa, is located on the outskirts of Kampala.
References
- ^ a b c "2002 Uganda Population and Housing Census - Main Report" (PDF). Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved on 2008-03-26.
- ^ Hassall, Graham (2003-08-26). "References to Africa in the Bahá'í Writings". Asian/Pacific Collection. Asia Pacific Bahá'í Studies. Retrieved on 2008-06-21.
- ^ Francis, N. Richard (1998), "Enoch Olinga -Hand of the Cause of God, Father of Victories", <http://bahai-library.com/index.php5?file=francis_olinga_biography>
See also
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