Cult rejects upcoming national census

Some members of the Enjiri cult group, which has a sizable presence in parts of Luweero, Nakaseke, Kayunga, and Nakasongola Districts, have said they will not take part in the forthcoming National Census.

They claim government has hidden motives in the execution of the programme.

The census is scheduled to take place from May 10 to 19, during which data pertaining to social demographic characteristics and various other factors will be collected for planning purposes. 

Mr Joshua Tebandeke, a resident of Nakasejere Village in Kamira Subcounty and a member of the Enjiri group, claimed that the collected data is used for satanic programmes that could affect their family members.

“The census that is being imposed on us is very different. We have spent a lot of time explaining to the different authorities about our faith and beliefs. This particular census is not very different from the other government projects that we have rejected,” he said on Tuesday.

“If your people ‘[government]’ were genuine about finding out the number of people, the questions could be answered by a single person. The officials intend to get all the details that will be entered into the government’s digital systems and will be used against the population,” he said. 

Mr Eliphazi Kiwanuka, another member, expressed concerns that government officials often subject the group to scrutiny for failure to engage in their activities.  

“ We have been jailed and threatened for speaking and practising the truth. The census exercise is not new to us. We should be left out of this particular programme. We can survive by God’s grace,” he said.

The Enjiri cult leaders, according to the Nakasejere Village chairperson, Mr Ronald Mulumba, have more than 30 homesteads and more than 300 followers in Nakasejere Village alone.

“They don’t believe in leadership and claim all humans are equal before God. Calling them for a particular meeting is quite a challenge since they have no leaders. The good part is that they are law-abiding and hardworking,” he says.

Mr Richard Bwabye, the Luweero RDC,  yesterday said the district security committee had resolved to meet the Enjiri group to address their opposition to various government programmes.

“The National Census is not optional as the Enjiri cult group wants us to believe. We have scheduled a visit to the area to ensure we talk to the group. Unfortunately, they are still adamant about the exercise,” he said.

Mr Didacus Okoth, the communications officer at the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos), yesterday said Ubos was not aware of the alleged boycott of the census exercise by a particular faith group in Luweero, but would investigate and find a solution through the Luweero District authorities.

“Ubos is not aware of the cult’s stand against the census exercise but we shall take the necessary steps through the Luweero District authorities on the matter,” he said.

The cult group
The cult, which claims to have its members in more than 15 districts, has been active in the areas of Luweero, Nakaseke, Kayunga, and Nakasongola and is opposed to particular government programmes, including the children’s immunisation and primary education curriculum.

In 2023, Daily Monitor ran a story about the Enjiri cult in the Greater Luweero areas that had established their own primary education curriculum in opposition to the government. 

They claimed that they have more than 500 children who undergo the homeschooling programme but do not sit for the Primary leaving exam. 

The Enjiri cult members claim that government programmes are computerised and linked to a satanic Biblical figure 666. They (group) quote the Bible teachings in the book of Revelations that guard the faithful against the satanic figure 666.

The group owns no mobile phones and does not entertain taking pictures using cameras.

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