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Series on Church and State: Eating and Sharing: Church and State in Uganda

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2009

Kevin Ward
Kevin Ward
Affiliation:
trskw@leeds.ac.uk
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Abstract

The article explores the complexities of church-state relations in Uganda, with particular reference to the two dominant churches: the Anglican Church of Uganda (the Protestants) and the Roman Catholic Church. Together the two churches include some 80 per cent of Ugandans. Since the beginnings of Christianity in the late nineteenth century, the rivalry between the two communions has had political implications, with the Anglican Church perceived as constituting a quasi-establishment and the Catholics as lacking political clout. In local discourse, ‘eating’ refers to the enjoyment of political power; ‘sharing’ to the expectation of inclusion. The article looks at the attempt to overcome sectarian politics, and the Christian witness of both churches in the face of state oppression and violence.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Anglican Studies , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , June 2005 , pp. 99 - 119
Copyright
Copyright © SAGE Publications (Los Angeles, London, New Delhi and Singapore) and The Journal of Anglican Studies Trust 2005

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References

1. Buganda refers to the country, Baganda the people. Muganda refers to a single person. Luganda is the language. Kiganda or Ganda are adjectival usages. The Baganda are a Bantu speaking people, as are the majority of Ugandans. Other Bantu speaking areas include Bunyoro, Tooro, Busoga, Ankole, Kigezi, Bugishu. In the north of Uganda are people who speak non-Bantu languages: Acholi, Langi, Teso, Karamajong, Padhola, Alur, Lugbara and Kakkwa.

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4. Catholics and Protestants in Buganda are divided by the same language, and have adopted slightly different terminology for several theological and ecclesial terms — a problem when it comes to agreeing on a common Bible translation. The Protestant word for church, Ekkanisa, is derived from the Arabic, via Swahili. The Catholic ekklesia is, of course, directly from the Greek.

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49. This paragraph is based on my own recollection of living in Uganda during that time. I am grateful to Amos Kasibante, of Leicester University, for valuable discussions about these and other constitutional issues of church-state relations in Uganda.

50. The Uganda newspapers, New Vision and Monitor, report regularly on these events.