The prelates call for national reconciliation in the face of post-election violence and polarization.
By Silas Isenjia, ACI Africa
Members of the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC) have appealed to the Ugandan government to release individuals detained for political reasons and those suffering for their political beliefs.
In their Easter Pastoral Message issued on Saturday, April 4, the Catholic Bishops said the season is a time for repentance and reconciliation, particularly as the country continues to recover from divisions caused by its recent elections.
“We appeal to the Government to consider the release of those detained for political reasons, and to establish a lasting mechanism for national reconciliation, fostering a culture of constitutionalism, justice, and the rule of law,” the bishops said.
They explained that repentance and reconciliation during Easter is “especially important as we seek to heal the divisions and polarization that marked the recent presidential and general elections.”
The Catholic bishops said reconciliation is also necessary because, during the Jan. 15 elections, “Tragically, some Ugandans lost their lives, others sustained injuries, some were traumatized, and others continue to be incarcerated because of their political beliefs.”
Reports from human rights organizations and media outlets indicate that a number of opposition figures and their supporters in Uganda have faced arrest and detention, particularly during politically sensitive periods such as elections.
Among the most prominent cases is that of Kizza Besigye, a veteran opposition leader and former presidential candidate, who has been arrested multiple times over the years. In recent developments, Besigye was reportedly abducted on Nov. 16, 2024, while in Nairobi, Kenya.
He later appeared before a military court in Kampala on Nov. 20, 2024, alongside his associate Haji Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya, where both were charged with firearms-related offenses and remanded to Luzira Prison.
A call for reconciliation amid political repression
Another key opposition figure, Robert Kyagulanyi, widely known as Bobi Wine, has also faced repeated arrests over the years, particularly during election periods, including the November 2020 arrests that sparked nationwide protests.
Members of his party have also been affected. Muwanga Kivumbi, a senior member of the National Unity Platform, was reportedly detained following the January 2026 general elections, after being accused of involvement in election-related violence.
In their April 4 letter, the Catholic bishops in Uganda recalled their March 2025 pastoral letter titled “The Truth will set you free,” and explained that in seeking reconciliation, one has to admit the need for repentance.
The bishops also expounded on the importance of Easter in fostering reconciliation, saying, “Easter is a truly special moment in our Christian faith.”
Easter, they explained, “is the time when we experience the gratuitous love of God in its fullest sense, most powerfully revealed in the passion and death of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He gave His life so that we might be freed from sin and receive new life in Him.”
“We have been preparing for this moment for weeks through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. In doing so, we have imitated Christ, who, led by the Spirit into the desert, fasted and prayed for forty days,” they said.
The Catholic bishops emphasized that the spirit of Easter calls Christians to live out the practical demands of love and charity.
“Through almsgiving, we have shared with the poor and needy the free love we ourselves have received from Christ through prayer and fasting,” they said, adding that the faithful are invited to go beyond the traditional Lenten practices and embrace a transformed life rooted in Christ.
“Christ calls us to a new life marked by love, grace, and faithful discipleship,” the bishops said, underscoring that authentic Christian witness requires an “unconditional outpouring of love for our neighbor.”
Bishops call for love and service
Addressing the question of who qualifies as a neighbour, the Bishops pointed to the Biblical account of the Good Samaritan, noting that Christians are called to extend compassion even to those who oppose or persecute them.
“A neighbour is any person whom we are called to love and serve,” they said, emphasizing that such love must transcend divisions and hostilities.
They cautioned that in a society experiencing political polarization, economic hardship, and moral challenges, Christians are called to stand as credible witnesses to the values of the Gospel.
Highlighting the qualities expected of believers, the bishops cited St. Paul’s teaching on the fruits of the Spirit, saying, “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are the marks of a life lived in Christ.”
They contrasted these virtues with attitudes that undermine human dignity and social harmony, including hatred, jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, impurity, and idolatry.
“As we emerge from the desert of Lent, we are called to live virtuous lives, bearing the fruits of the Spirit, so that the world may clearly see that we are disciples of Christ,” they said.
The bishops urged the people of God in the country to actively promote healing and unity within their communities. They emphasized that Easter provides an opportunity to forgive past wrongs and rebuild relationships fractured by political and social tensions.
“May this Easter inspire us to forgive, to heal, and to build bridges of peace wherever there is division,” they said.
Featured image: A woman kneels and prays to a statue of Jesus outside St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Mukono in the central region of Uganda before going to the Catholic Martyrs’ Shrine of Namugongo June 3, 2024. (OSV News/Tonny Onyulo)
