Uganda, since the colonial days, has grappled helplessly with the barbaric and ferocious vice of ethnic and religious sectarianism, often perpetuated by selfish and evidently incompetent leaders, mostly in the political arena.
Our history, shaped by deep-seated mischief stemming from sectarian tendencies, serves as a vital lesson. It reminds us to learn from our past and move beyond these harmful and anti-people flaws.
The divide-and-rule strategy employed by the British Colonial administration was significantly reinforced by scriptures that manipulated sentiments, ultimately pitting people of the same heritage against one another, all in the name of newfound “light” and new gifts such as mirrors that chiefs had never seen. This manipulation set the stage for the notorious religious wars that ushered in a reign of terror.
In 1888, following their victory over the Christians, the Muslims appointed their own Kabaka, Kalema, who embraced Islam and adopted the name Nuhu. He took bold steps to establish Islam as the official state religion, mandating circumcision for all Baganda males and enforcing adherence to Sharia law. In a pivotal letter to Sultan Seyyid written upon his ascension to the throne in December 1888, Kalema declared:
“I am now the King of Buganda and Muslim. I believe in Allah and His Prophet Mohammed, and I always thank God for that. Please send me your flag, Islamic books, teachers, and arms and ammunition to convert the infidels.”
In Ankole, Omugabe Kahaya was made to sign a pledge in which he swore that all Banyankore should be Protestants. He also swore to oppose the presence of Roman Catholic teachers and agents in his kingdom.
In 1910, at the dawn of the 20th century, King Daudi Chwa of Buganda received an invitation to travel to Britain. However, a significant dispute arose concerning the choice of Prince David Musanje as the translator for the royal entourage. Sir Apollo Kaggwa, the Prime Minister of Buganda, strongly opposed Musanje’s involvement for being a Catholic.
More recently, the vice of religious radicalization led to the birth of the notorious Holy Spirit Movement by Lakwena and the Lord’s Resistance Army by Joseph Kony, which caused untold suffering and wanton bloodshed in Northern Uganda.
Why am I giving all these ugly references? It is simply because, like Tallyrand wrote, referring to the Bourbons (the rulers of France), many politicians, because of greed for power and positions, have learned nothing and forgotten nothing.
Hon. Mary Paula Turyahikayo, a former Woman Member of Parliament representing Rubabo County, Rukungiri District, who lost miserably in the 2021–2026 elections, has since revisited and revised the notes of the above sectarian leaders. She is currently attempting to implement them, this time using the Catholic Church in Rukungiri District.
As you will see in the attached copy of the minutes of a meeting she convened on November 11, 2024, as the Chairperson of Peace and Justice in Rukungiri, Mary Paula, in her opening remarks, lamented the absence of a Catholic Member of Parliament in the entire Rukungiri District.
According to her, the Catholic Church in the district is desperately looking up to her as its sole beacon of hope for survival and continuity, adding that most Catholics should be made aware of their political position through mass sermons in their respective parishes.
As if that was not enough damage, Mary Paula, boasting of her position on the committee of church laity and her “proximity” with the Rt. Rev. Callist Rubaramira, Bishop of Kabale Diocese, made it clear that she would not hesitate to get rid of any parish priest in the district who does not align with her mission.
A case in point was her personal attack on Rev. Fr. Jeremiah Tumwijukye, the Rwengiri Parish priest, whom she considered an enemy. By the account of the meeting minutes, she committed to talking to the Bishop to have him transferred from the Rukungiri Catholic community.
Any decent human being, well in their senses, would be shocked to learn that a community leader at her level urged members in a meeting to use an infamous racist rhetoric of “Buri mbuzi ahankondo yaayo,” loosely translated to mean that Catholics should vote for only Catholics.
If it wasn’t for the infamous Western protocol rule—that once an Honorable, always an Honorable—this venomous politician would cease to be referred to as such because her clandestine actions and ill intentions suggest otherwise.
This type of virulent indoctrination mirrors the actions of self-proclaimed prophet Joseph Kibwetere, infamous for his visions of the Virgin Mary in the 1980s, which culminated in the tragic Kanungu cult massacre where 700 followers perished in 2000.
Mary Paula sitting with her indoctrinated congregation and spewing such noxious sentiments clearly indicates that some apples did not fall far from the tree, but rather into her Bugandaza compound, which shares a close border with Kanungu.
While clutching at convenient straws, she attempted to paint Hon. Jim Muhwezi as the enemy and Pharaoh of the Catholic Church in Rukungiri District, citing that for the Catholic Church to make any meaningful progress, they must first get rid of Hon. Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi as the area Member of Parliament.
Upon seeing this allegation, this column, out of curiosity, randomly sampled Catholic churches and other institutions in Rujumbura which Hon. Muhwezi has supported since 2021. There was sufficient evidence to indicate that the good General has supported all beliefs in the district since 1996.
Preliminary results indicated that in Bugangari Sub-County alone, Hon. Muhwezi supported numerous Catholic and non-Catholic institutions, debunking the divisive narrative of Mrs. Turyahikayo.
Since 1986, H.E. Yoweri Museveni has, in almost all his public lectures, condemned ethnic and religious sectarianism and advanced the notion of politics of mutual interest as opposed to identity politics. However, it seems that some of his sermons have fallen on the deaf ears of errant politicians like Mrs. Turyahikayo.
Your Excellency, allow me to report that Hon. Mary Paula, who is contending to represent the distinguished women of Rukungiri on the NRM ticket, is attempting to rally Catholics against Protestants and all other faiths in the coming election. It is our hope, as citizens of Rukungiri, that you, as the Chairman of the NRM party, will take action against such misleaders.
To the entire electorate in Rukungiri, we must recognize that the issues we face transcend religious or ethnic divides. Characters like Hon. Mary Paula should be seen for who they truly are—divisive and poisonous sectarians.
Nyehangane Christopher
The writer is a Master’s student at Makerere University and an active citizen of Rukungiri District.
