Pastor Joseph Kabuleta of Watchman Ministries has gone to dragged the Attorney General of Uganda, Ethics and Integrity Minister Fr. Simon Lokodo and Rev. Canon Aaron Mwesigye, the Director of religious affairs at the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity over the planned National Religious and Faith-Based Organizations (RFBO) policy 2019.

In his lawsuit filed before the High Court Civil Division, Kabuleta argues that the policy promoted by Fr. Simon Lokodo and Rev. Canon Aaron Mwesigye is an infringement of the fundamental freedom of worship of Ugandans.

Joseph Kabuleta has appealed to the High court to declare the RFBO policy unconstitutional and unenforceable in Uganda because it imposes a state religion on Ugandans contrary to Article 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda which states that “Uganda shall not adopt a State religion”..

Kabuleta says the policy also infringes on the right of any Ugandan to practice a religion of their choice, manifest its practices and to join a religious body of their choice.

Through his lawyers Namara Twenda & Co. Advocates, Pastor Kabuleta is asking court to stop the Government of Uganda and all its institutions from enforcing and executing it and to stop the Hon. Minister Lokodo and the Director of Religious Affairs Rev. Can. Mwesigye from promoting and enforcing it.

Evidence before Court shows that on 1 February 2019, John Baptist Nambeshe, the Member of Parliament for Manjiya County withdrew “controversial” Religious and Faith-Based Organizations bill from the floor of Parliament a after it was opposed by his fellow MPs, who argued that it was unconstitutional and an an infringement on freedom of worship of Ugandans.

However, Kabuleta contends that the Government of Uganda the directorate of the Ethics and Integrity and the Office of the President repackaged this bill into a government policy which will be soon enforced across the country to regulate the activities of religious and faith-based organizations in the country.