Uganda's State House and the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda are planning a joint strategy against what officials call the growing public humiliation of religious leaders, Nile Post reported. The plan follows a recent online dispute between businessman Frank Gashumba and Pastor Robert Kayanja.
Joseph Mukasa Ssevawa, the Presidential Special Envoy on Buganda Affairs, announced the plan at a press conference in Kampala. He said it was time to create ways of handling grievances against religious leaders without turning them into public fights on social media.
Ssevawa said people with complaints should use established institutions instead of attacking clerics online. He listed possible channels: the Inter-Religious Council, the Born Again Faith Federation, the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Uganda Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Ethics and Integrity.
He named Gashumba directly. According to Nile Post, Ssevawa said that if Gashumba has issues with a religious leader, he should file a complaint with the Inter-Religious Council or other relevant bodies so the matter can be resolved.
Ssevawa said several religious leaders had asked him to intervene over what they see as attacks on their standing and reputation. He argued that religious leaders have large followings and give people hope. "Pastors are not the ones who heal the sick, but it is one's faith," he said.
He accepted that some of the concerns Gashumba raised could deserve attention. But he said such grievances should go directly to the people involved or through proper institutions. According to Ssevawa, the intervention aims to discourage public insults and promote respectful engagement.
Nile Post noted that the plan raises wider questions. One is how to balance respect for religious leaders with people's right to complain, criticise and seek accountability through lawful channels. No timeline for the joint strategy was given.