KAMPALA, Uganda — Ashes and prayer opened the Christian season of Lent on Wednesday as Muslims prepared for the first full day of Ramadan fasting, a rare overlap that has put two of the world’s biggest faith traditions on the same spiritual timetable.
The convergence comes as Christians in Uganda and elsewhere begin Lent today, Feb. 18, a day marked by the sign of ashes and a call to repentance ahead of Easter.
In Uganda, the Office of the Supreme Mufti said the crescent moon had been sighted in Saudi Arabia, setting the start of Ramadan for the Muslim community, with fasting beginning the next day, according to an announcement carried by NTV Uganda.
For many believers, the timing has given fresh weight to familiar themes: discipline, charity, self control and prayer.
Ugandan church leaders have used the start of Lent to push for reconciliation and calmer public life, warning that anger and division can linger long after political seasons end.
At St. Charles Lwanga Catholic Parish in Jinja Karoli, Kawempe, Fr. Buwembo Sylvester urged Christians to go beyond prayer, fasting and almsgiving by taking forgiveness seriously, especially for families and communities still nursing wounds from recent politics.
The overlap is driven by the Islamic lunar calendar, which moves earlier each year compared with the Gregorian calendar, causing Ramadan to occasionally align with major Christian observances.
The result is a stretch that many religious leaders have described as a shared sacred season. In practical terms, it also means the entire month of March 2026 falls within both periods of devotion, since Ramadan is expected to run into mid March while Lent continues into early April.
In a country where mosques and churches often sit within the same neighborhoods, some believers say the rare timing is a reminder that faith can unite people around common duties: to pray more, give more, and live with restraint and mercy.
