Churchgoers across Uganda are turning to prayer ahead of Sunday’s general election, hoping for a peaceful vote amid lingering fears of violence.
At the Pentecostal Blessed Anointed Church International in Kampala, worshippers are midway through a 14-day period of prayer and fasting, seeking calm and stability as the country prepares to go to the polls.
Memories of the 2021 elections weigh heavily on many congregants. Human rights groups and NGOs previously reported that the last vote was marked by widespread violence and serious abuses.
“As a young woman, what frightens me most is how violent the last election was,” said church member Winnie Promise Nantume. “Many people lost their lives and their property, and that fear is still with us.”
On Sunday, Ugandans will elect their president and members of parliament. Incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, 81, is seeking a seventh term in office, while his main challenger is opposition leader Bobi Wine, contesting the presidency for the second time.
Rights group Amnesty International has warned of rising tensions, accusing authorities of using excessive force and carrying out arbitrary arrests of opposition supporters in the run-up to the vote, heightening concerns of renewed unrest.
“We are praying for our nation,” said Joseph Wasswa, lead pastor at the Pentecostal Blessed Anointed Church International. “We pray for the security forces, the electoral commission, the voters, and everyone involved.”
Uganda’s Catholic bishops have also appealed for calm, urging electoral officials to conduct the process with integrity and fairness. In a statement issued on January 6, the Uganda Episcopal Conference called for a peaceful and credible election.
