The Uganda National Mosque is one of the largest mosques in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Uganda is an overwhelmingly Christian majority country, with Islam being the second most widely professed faith. According to the 2014 National Census, Islam in Uganda was practised by 14 percent of the population.[1] The Pew Research Center in 2014, however, estimated that 11.5 percent of Ugandans were Muslim, compared to 35.2 percent of Tanzanians, 9.7 percent of Kenyans, 6.2 percent of South Sudanese, 2.8 percent of Burundians, and 1.8 percent of Rwandans.[2] The vast majority of Muslims in Uganda are Sunni. Small Shia and Ahmadi minorities are also present.[3]

The Iganga District in the east of Uganda had the highest percentage of Muslims according to a 2009 published report.[4]

History

The presence of Islam in Uganda was first recorded in 1844 when an Arab trader preached to Suuna II, the ruler of the Kingdom of Buganda in central Uganda. Later adopted by Muteesa I as the state religion of his kingdom and then retracted by his son and successor Mwanga II, Baganda Muslims spread across the lands that would become Uganda. Islam was also spread throughout Uganda by Muslim colonial administrators who originally worked in northern Uganda when it was by controlled by the Khedivate of Egypt but were later employed by British colonial administrator Frederick Lugard when Egyptian control collapsed in the south.[5] Despite persecution by the British, Islam flourished in the colonial period and was said to be fastest growing religion in Uganda by a colonial officer in the 1950s. Mosques were built in almost every established city in Uganda and the Uganda Muslim Education Association, founded by prince Badru Kakungulu with help by Asian Muslims, built hundreds of primary schools through introducing western educational curriculum into madrasah schools across the country.[6]

2002 census

A rural mosque in Uganda

The 2002 national census recorded that Muslims represented 12.1 percent of the population.[7]: 11 

Region % Muslim
Central 18.4%[8]
Eastern 17.0%[8]
Northern 8.5%[8]
Western 4.5%[8]
Total 12.1%

Geographical distribution

Yumbe District is the only district with a Muslim-majority (76%). Muslims form a significant minority in the districts of Mayuge (36%) and Iganga (34%).

Region/District
Population
(2014 census)
[9]
Number of Muslims Share of Muslims
Kampala District1,187,795268,78722.6%
Iganga District708,630239,58233.8%
Yumbe District251,758191,91376.2%
Mukono District795,114165,81720.9%
Masaka District770,379164,95021.4%
Wakiso District907,736164,25618.1%
Mbale District717,534132,24718.4%
Arua District833,538123,22914.8%
Mayuge District324,668117,52636.2%
Kamuli District707,242112,17715.9%
Bugiri District412,365101,57124.6%
Jinja District387,249100,25725.9%
Pallisa District520,53294,23118.1%
Luwero District478,49289,23218.6%
Mpigi District407,73987,31421.4%
Kayunga District294,56876,12725.8%
Mubende District689,30574,78110.8%
Tororo District536,73263,38111.8%
Mbarara District1,088,01261,2735.6%
Rakai District470,14451,34810.9%
Moyo District194,73435,56918.3%
Kasese District522,72633,7906.5%
Masindi District459,24431,7536.9%
Bushenyi District731,21731,2934.3%
Sironko District283,05628,96110.2%
Kiboga District229,29727,83912.1%
Sembabule District180,02827,40815.2%
Busia District224,88722,3229.9%
Ntungamo District379,82920,6885.1%
Bundibugyo District209,82018,6018.9%
Nebbi District435,25217,8294.1%
Kabarole District356,70417,6965.0%
Hoima District343,48017,4385.1%
Kapchorwa District190,28216,3248.6%
Kibaale District405,76113,0443.2%
Kyenjojo District377,10911,7543.1%
Kumi District389,59911,6323.0%
Adjumani District202,22311,2735.6%
Kamwenge District263,59510,8654.1%
Lira District740,8939,5661.3%
Nakasongola District127,0489,4287.4%
Soroti District369,6218,5412.3%
Kanungu District204,6405,5642.7%
Rukungiri District275,1015,3391.9%
Kalangala District34,6994,98614.4%
Gulu District475,0714,5971.0%
Apac District683,9873,9990.6%
Kabale District458,1073,7530.8%
Katakwi District298,9003,1311.0%
Kotido District591,8702,3130.4%
Moroto District189,9071,7070.9%
Kisoro District220,2021,6930.8%
Kitgum District282,2701,6170.6%
Pader District326,3201,4630.4%
Nakapiripirit District154,4941,3900.9%
Kaberamaido District131,6279560.7%
Uganda (total)24,433,1322,956,12112.1%

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Uganda". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  2. ↑ "Global Religious Diversity: Appendix 2, Religious Diversity Index Scores and Religious Adherents by Region and Country" (PDF). Pew Research Center. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  3. ↑ "The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity" (PDF). Pew Forum on Religious & Public life. 9 August 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  4. ↑ United States Department of State (26 October 2009). "Uganda". International Religious Freedom Report 2009. Archived from the original on 30 November 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  5. ↑ Kasozi 1985, p. 36.
  6. ↑ Kasozi 1985, p. 36-37.
  7. ↑ "2002 Uganda Population and Housing Census - Main Report" (PDF). Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "2002 Uganda Population and Housing Census - Population Composition (Household Composition, Religious and Ethnic Composition and Marriage)" (PDF). Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  9. ↑ http://www.ubos.org/onlinefiles/uploads/ubos/centableB7.pdf

Bibliography

  • Kasozi, Abdu B.K. (January 1985). "The Uganda Muslim supreme council: an experiment in Muslim administrative centralisation and institutionalisation, 1972–82". Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs Journal. 6 (1): 34–52. doi:10.1080/13602008508715923.

Further reading

  • Kasule, Joseph (2022). Islam in Uganda: The Muslim Minority, Nationalism & Political Power. Boydell & Brewer. ISBN 9781847012432.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Islam in Uganda.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.