Interreligious Body in Uganda among Dozens of Entities Accredited for Voter Education

IRCU, which brings together representatives of seven religious bodies in the country including the Episcopal Conference of Uganda (UEC) has governance as one of its key pillars through which good governance and independent, free and fair polls are fostered.

Following the ban on campaign rallies announced by Uganda’s electoral commission in June and the subsequent advice to candidates to use media outlets to interact with their respective electorates, the leadership of the 19-year-old interreligious body decried unequal access to the media and police brutality.

In their August statement, the faith leaders called upon political actors and electoral managers in the country to “engage in a win-win dialogue on how to access media space equitably; how to enforce the regulations uniformly and agree on the mode of campaigns.”

Through their initiative dubbed “working together for peaceful, credible free and fair elections 2020/21,” the IRCU members expressed their willingness to work with various stakeholders to address the existing challenges that they say are undermining the growth of the country’s democracy.

The challenges, they said, include the declining trend in respect for freedom of expression, the narrowing civic and political space, and concerns about the increasing monetization of elections.

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They also raised concerns about violence in elections; persistent challenges of limited participation of women, youth and People with Disabilities (PWDs) in elections; the lack of equal access to media; and gross apathy among the electorate.

The IRCU leadership was also behind the country’s “first ever” presidential candidates’ debates that took place ahead of the 2016 general elections, a milestone achieved in partnership with the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) and The Elder’s Forum (TEFU).

According to IRCU leadership, Ugandans appreciated the debates and encouraged that the body considers institutionalizing them in the country’s politics.

The faith leaders also announced the “second edition of the presidential and constituency candidates’ debates” on a date they said “shall be announced as soon as the presidential and parliamentary campaigns begin.”

“The candidates’ debates are a neutral dignified forum or platform where candidates or political leaders are given the opportunity to sell their agenda to the electorate and in the case of Uganda, commit themselves to a fair, peaceful and credible election,” IRCU leadership said.

Established in 2001, the mission of IRCU is to promote peace, reconciliation, good governance, and holistic human development through interfaith action and collaboration, advocating for the empowerment of member bodies for the common good.