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Anglican Bishop Godfrey Rwabusisi has proposed collaboration with religious leaders in the procedure of organizing and holding general elections. Speaking at Afreka Hall in Kamwenge District on Thursday 26th February 2009 in a training workshop for district leaders, the bishop emphasised that this is the way of getting good leaders chosen. The workshop was organised by the Foundation for African Development (FAD) under the KAS supported project on strengthening multiparty democracy in Uganda.

The training workshop targeted leaders from local councils and political parties in the western District of Kamwenge. Bishop Rwabusisi urged that religious leaders have more knowledge about the society than anybody else “I believe if there is mutual cooperation between religious leaders and electoral officials, Uganda will be blessed with good leaders,” he said. He said that religious leaders are closer to the people and that people have given them their trust, more than to any politician. The Bishop also called upon religious leaders to speak to their congregations about elections, instead of leaving the task to only politicians and government officials.

The Kamwenge District Resident Commissioner Mr. E. Biryabarema called upon participants to mobilise people in their areas to utilise their democratic rights by registering to be able to participate in the 2011 general elections. He proposed that, before the 2011 presidential, parliamentary and local council elections, government should allocate funds for continuous and diversified civic education. This will enable voters during elections to make decisions and choices from informed perspectives. He thanked FAD and KAS for organizing such workshops that fill gaps in the government civic education program.

Participants recommended that there is need for security organs and the intelligence units of government to be regularly reminded by the police that in multiparty dispensation, political parties have a right to organise and hold assemblies in accordance with the law. Those individuals who take it upon themselves to deny political parties this right should be dealt with in accordance with the law. They further recommend that the courts of law handling election petitions should refer individuals named to have participated in perpetrating electoral malpractices to the Director of Public Prosecution (D.P.P) for prosecution. This will reduce impunity and contribute to holding free and fair elections in Uganda.