Kampala a Religious Hub City in Uganda    

Yes, Kampala is a religious city in Uganda. Uganda is religious diverse nation with Christianity and Islam being the most widely professed religious. According to the 2014 cense, over 84 percent of the population was Christian while about 14 percent of the population adhered to Islam. In 2009, the northern and west Nile regions were dominated by Roman Catholics and Iganga District in the east of Uganda had the highest percentage of Muslims.

Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Uganda Constitution, but religions are expected to be registered with the government. The catholic church, the Church of Uganda, the Eastern Orthodox Church in Uganda and the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council are registered under the Trustees Incorporation Act. Most other religious groups are registered yearly as non-governmental organizations.

Kampala has a variety of cathedrals, mosques, temples and churches to explore as written below: Among the cathedrals, temple and mosques include the Namirembe, Rubaga, Bahai Temple, Gaddafi, Kibuli and the Uganda’s Martyrs Shrine.

African Orthodox Church

The African Orthodox Church is a primarily African-American denomination founded in the United States in 1921. It has approximately 15 parishes and 5,000 members, down significantly from its peak membership. The AOC holds to the historic three-fold ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons, and lays strong emphasis on apostolic succession. The church celebrates the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church.

Its worship is liturgical, of Eastern and Western rites. The Nicene, Apostles’, and Athanasian creeds are affirmed.

The African Orthodox Church originally attracted mostly Anglican West Indian immigrants. It spread to the South in 1925 when McGuire started a parish in West Palm Beach, Florida. Two years later he consecrated an African, Daniel William Alexander, as Primate of the Province of South Africa and central and southern Africa. At this time McGuire was elected as patriarch with the title of Alexander.

The church then spread to British Uganda and British Kenya, where it grew to about 10,000. A congregation also developed in Nassau, Bahamas. Its greatest strength, however, was in New York City where on November 8, 1931, McGuire dedicated Holy Cross Pro-Cathedral, a remodelled house purchased by McGuire from funds obtained by mortgaging his own home.

In 1932 a bishop of the church went to Uganda and ordained Ruben Spartus Mukasa and one of his associates their priests of the African Orthodox Church. However, a few years later, Mukasa and his followers decided to align with the Eastern Orthodox Church. Mukasa went to Alexandria and was ordained by the patriarch there, while the African Orthodox Church lost its connection in Uganda.

Shree Kutch Satsing Swaminyaran Temple Kampala

During the past, in the history of Uganda there were not much devotees who originated from Kutch community unlike the neighboring regions of East Africa. Those who settled here before the seventies were small in number and well to meet their own survival.

Though all devotees used to meet every Sunday at one of the generous family’s homes to worship and socialize, keeping in mind as we grow that our own Temple and centre would be established. Thoughts of these requirements were also put to the devotees by his Holiness Acharya Maharaj Shree Tejendraprasadji Maharaja during his last visit to Uganda but it failed to become a reality as all members of the Asian community were expelled from Uganda, in the early seventies.

Later on, when the situation improved in mid-eighties, the Government of Uganda invited Asians to return to Uganda for the re-development of Uganda. Soon and later many Asian communities respected the invitation and returned to Uganda. Kutch community had little to come and repossess but Uganda being the Pearl of Africa and the best in the East African region; many were delighted to come back or for the first time along with other communities. As life continued further more and more devotees and community members settled in Uganda. Kutch community being the domination in construction and agricultural industries, many businesses of this community were diversified to Uganda from other East African region.

With the blessing from the Mahant Swami, the community acquired a good house on Martin Road Old Kampala in 1996 and started renovations to accommodate a place for worship. As time passed the Temple was ready for inauguration and consecration of the idols of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan, Nar Narayan Dev, Radar Krishna Dev. and Ghanshyam Maharaja, a contingent of Saints from India and devotees from Kenya came to perform religious ceremonies to consecrate the idols (Murti) and the place for worship was made permanent. Since then, the community has high heartedly continued to participate in many activities together with other Asian communities and at national level.

Today the devotees of this Temple consist of many major investments in Uganda, Manufacturing sector, Construction industries, Quarry mining, Hardware merchants, Specialized workshops and many others, and wishes to continue further hand in hand both with community level and in general development of Uganda.

Jain Temple Uganda

A Jain temple is the place of worship for Jains, the followers of Jainism, Derasar is a word used for a Jain temple in Gujarat and southern Rajasthan. Basadi is a Jain shrine or temple in Karnataka.

The word is generally used in South India, as well as in Maharashtra. Its historical use in North India is preserved in the names of the Vimala Vasahi and Luna Vasahi temples of Mount Abu. The Sanskrit word is vasati; it implies an institution including residences of scholars attached to the shrine.

Uganda Jain Temple in located in Kololo, Kampala is the perfect example of Jain unity – the same complex has temples for the 2 main sects of Jainism – a Digambar Jain temple and a Shwetambar Jain temple. Additionally, a temple also exists in the same complex for the Sthanakwasi sub-sect of Shwetambar Jains.

Christ The King

Christ The King Catholic Church is the parish church of Christ The King Catholic Parish in the city of Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda. The church is located at the junction of Colville Street and Kimathi Avenue, on Nakasero Hill, in the Central Division of Kampala. The church property is bounded by Portal Avenue to the south.

The church serves Christ the King Catholic Parish, which covers Nakasero, Kololo, and Old Kampala. Many worshipers, however, come from other parts of the city and surrounding neighborhoods to pray at this location. As of September 2016, the seating capacity inside the church was about 600. Because of the size of the congregation, there is insufficient space inside the church to accommodate all the worshippers. During mass and other large events, tents are erected outside the church where worshipers follow the proceedings on loud speakers.

The church was built in 1930 by the immigrant Goan community who had come to Uganda to construct the Uganda Railway. In 1972, following the expulsion of Ugandan Asians by Dictator Idi Amin, the church underwent a modest expansion to its present dimensions.

In 1992, plans were initiated to enlarge the church to accommodate more worshippers. The parish began putting aside some funds to cover the expansion costs that year. In 2013, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) rejected the expansion plans submitted that year because the plans lacked parking space. Beginning in November 2016, the church will begin a multi-phased expansion and renovation that will last until 2018. The seating capacity will be increased from the current 600 to 1,500. The architectural plans were drawn by Ssentoogo & Partners Architects. The construction contract was awarded to Seyani Brothers, a Ugandan construction company. The renovations are expected to conclude in April 2018

Watoto Church Kampala

Watoto Church, formerly Kampala Pentecostal Church (KPC) is an English-speaking cell-based community church located around East Africa and headquartered in Kampala, Uganda. The vision of the church is “an English-speaking cell-based community church, celebrating Christ, growing and multiplying as each one reaches one, touching those around us with the love of Jesus, bringing healing to the cities and the nations. Watoto means “the children” in Swahili.

The church has various cell groups in Kampala. Each cell comprises about 7 to 10 members who meet at least once a week in one of the member’s home. During the meeting they share fellowship. The Church was founded by Pastor Gary Skinner and his wife, Marylin Skinner who are the current pastoral team leaders, assisted by various campus pastors and other ministry leaders.

Watoto Church is home to Watoto Child Care Ministries, a ministry that assists vulnerable children and women in Uganda, best known for its Watoto Children’s Choir that tours the world every year, spreading the Gospel and raising financial assistance for their fellows back home. The vision of the Church is to keep on expanding to cover the entire country of Uganda and possibly across East Africa with a strong standing campus already in war torn South Sudan, Watoto Church Juba.

St Augustine’s Chapel Makerere

St Augustine Chapel is located behind the Main Administration Building, on chapel road at Makerere University.

• Holy Mass for Roman Catholics runs every Sunday at these times
• First Mass: 7.30 am
• Second Mass: 9.00 am
• Third Mass: 11.00am
• Fourth Mass: 6.00pm

St Francis Chapel Makerere

St Francis Chapel is located behind the Main Administration Building. St. Francis which was built in 1942 is a centre of Christian Spiritual growth and transformation located at the heart of Makerere University, Kampala. The first service at the chapel took place on 6 December 1942 and since then the chapel has continued to face challenges of the progressively increasing numbers of students and members of staff of the University, as well as individuals from the surrounding communities who worship in it. As a result in 1963, the chapel was expanded to cater for the 450 worshipers at the time. By the year 2000, there were already 5 established services every Sunday, with some services requiring the use of provisional seats outside the Chapel.

• Service run every Sunday at these times
• English Service: 7.00 am, 9.00 am and 11.00 am
• Lugbara Service: 1.00 pm
• Youth Service: 4.00 pm

Kiwamirembe Catholic Shrine

Straddled among tea plantations outside Kampala, the hilltop shrine of Kiwamirembe had its roots as a site of prayer for peace during Uganda’s devastating civil wars, and was finally launched in 1989 as a place for spiritual refuge, healing, and thanksgiving for deliverance from the wars. Kiwamirembe means “giver of peace.”

The shrine draws pilgrims throughout the year, for overnight vigils, daily Masses, and Good Friday Passion walks. While the themes and devotions at the shrine are all very traditional – European-style Marian images, rosaries, stations of the cross – with little designed to cultivate a visually African religious aesthetic, music at the liturgies includes a good deal of drumming, rhythm and movement.

For pilgrims to the overnight vigil, a sign offers the following schedule: 9 p.m. rosary then quiet prayer; 3 a.m. Divine Mercy rosary, then general rosary; 5 a.m. bathing, then morning prayer; 7 a.m. Mass and departure.

Rubaga miracle centre cathedral

The Miracle Centre Cathedral is a Pentecostal mega church in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. The church’s Senior Pastor is Robert Kayanja. In 2017, the attendance is 15,000 people.

The church is founded in 1991 by Robert Kayanja. In 2002, the Cathedral was built at a cost of US$7 million, half of which was donated by a South Korean woman who was healed after Kayanja prayed for her. The building, in the Rubaga district of Kampala, has a capacity of 10,500, and the church claims to be the biggest auditorium in East Africa.

According to Kayanja, the Cathedral’s congregation has planted over 1,000 other Miracle Centre Churches across Uganda, and over 2 million Ugandans have professed faith in Christ at its crusades.

Prayer palace Kibuye

Prayer Palace Christian Centre is an indigenous Christian faith-based organization, which seeks to reach out, equip, support and empower Christians in Africa and the entire World with the power of the gospel. It is known as Prayer Palace Christian Centre or PPCC. It acquired this name in 1988 and it is Apostolic in nature with its focus/cardinal purpose on preaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. PPCC was founded on 3 pillars namely;

PPCC is also a member of Born-Again Faith Federation (BAFFE), an indigenous Pentecostal umbrella organization registered with the Ugandan Government which unites and regulates the operation of Pentecostal churches in Uganda. PPCC has over 258 branch churches countrywide with its headquarters located in Kibuye (Juko zone, Opposite Katwe Police station), Makindye division in Kampala District, Uganda, and East Africa. Currently, PPCC is under the leadership of Bishop Grivas K. Musisi as the Overseer; with a Board of Directors, the Church council, the Executive, Ordained Pastors and ministers (departmental heads).