MBARARA, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni has credited the East African Revival with helping transform the moral, social and economic life of Ankole, saying the movement confronted alcoholism, adultery, dishonesty, superstition and other practices that weakened families and communities.
Museveni made the remarks on Aug. 30, 2026, as he joined thousands of Christians at St. John’s Cathedral, Ruharo, in Mbarara City for the closing of celebrations marking 90 years since the East African Revival took root in Ankole.
The five day Ankole Revival Convention was held under the theme, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever,” drawn from Hebrews 13:8.
Bishops from Ankole, North Ankole, South Ankole, West Ankole, North West Ankole and Kigezi joined Christians for prayers, testimonies, choir performances and thanksgiving.
Museveni described the occasion as both a national event and a deeply personal moment, recalling that he first stood on the cathedral compound 77 years ago.
He said his great grandfather and grandfathers had refused to join the Church after missionaries arrived in Ankole in 1899. He, his father and mother eventually joined the Church at Kinoni in 1947.
Museveni recalled returning to Ankole with his parents and sister, Dr. Kajubiri, in 1949 during celebrations marking 50 years of the Church’s presence in the region. He also returned in 1953 with his father and again in 1959, when he joined Junior Secondary One.
He said prayer was part of their daily routine during his school days.
“I really thank God to see that I come back here 77 years after I came here. Praise be the Lord,” Museveni said.
Revival changed Ankole
Museveni said the East African Revival had a profound effect on Ankole because it addressed social problems that were affecting communities at the time.
“The Revival in many ways saved Ankole because it dealt with drunkenness,” he said.
He recalled that Banyankole were once associated with heavy alcohol consumption and cited research by South African brewers who had identified the area around Mbarara as a major market for alcohol.
He said the Revival challenged excessive drinking as well as tobacco use, particularly among women, adultery and promiscuity.
According to Museveni, the movement also confronted superstition, witchcraft, dishonesty and untrustworthiness while encouraging better hygiene and healthier social practices.
The Balokole, as Revival followers came to be known, encouraged people to boil milk and water before drinking and discouraged the sharing of drinking cups and beer mugs.
Museveni also credited the movement with encouraging families to send their children to school.
“They learnt the importance of sending children to schools. This was all done by the born again,” he said.
The president said the Revival’s influence went beyond church services and helped shape family life, education, discipline and community values.
From Rwanda to Ankole
The East African Revival emerged in the early 1930s after British missionary Dr. Joe Church met Ugandan civil servant Simeon Nsibambi.
The movement gained momentum in Gahini, Rwanda, before spreading to Kigezi in 1935 and Ankole in 1936.
According to the historical account presented during the celebrations, Church travelled from Gahini to Mbarara towards Christmas in 1935. After failing to obtain spare parts to repair his vehicle, he was hosted at St. James Cathedral, Ruharo.
He was asked to send evangelists from Gahini to preach to clergy and evangelists in Ankole.
On Jan. 8, 1936, evangelists including Blasio Kigozi, Paul Gahunde and Yosiya Kinuka arrived and conducted a week of prayer and preaching that helped spark the Revival in Ankole.
The movement emphasised repentance, the preaching of the Word of God, the cross of Christ, reconciliation and restitution. Those who had wronged others were encouraged to seek forgiveness and make amends.
Although initially resisted by some clergy, civil servants and officials, the Revival gradually gained acceptance and by the 1950s had become an established part of Church life in the region.
Its influence eventually extended into education, health, hygiene, work ethic and community life.
Museveni calls for faith beyond the pulpit
Museveni said religious revival should not stop at spiritual transformation but should also help improve people’s livelihoods.
He welcomed the growing involvement of Church leaders in socio economic development, particularly efforts to help communities move out of poverty.
He singled out Bishop Ahimbisibwe’s work in promoting coffee production in Ntungamo as an example of religious institutions contributing to economic development.
“I am glad that Bishop Ahimbisibwe and others are getting into socio economic development. He has done a lot of coffee in Ntungamo there,” he said.
Museveni, who once served as president of Scripture Union, also reflected on his understanding of the Bible.
He said he disagreed with what he regarded as a misinterpretation of the biblical teaching about turning the other cheek, arguing that the central Christian message should include loving one’s neighbour.
He cited the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus’ teaching that people are known by their fruits and the call for believers to let their light shine through good deeds.
Warning over River Rwizi
The president also used the occasion to warn residents against destroying wetlands and water catchment areas, linking environmental protection to the availability of water in the region.
He expressed concern over the shrinking River Rwizi and said human activity in its catchment was threatening water supplies.
“In Mbarara, I see you have a problem. You don’t have water. The River Rwizi does not have water,” he said.
Museveni said Uganda was now obtaining water from the Kagera River in Tanzania while activities in the Rwizi catchment continued to threaten local water resources.
He urged residents to leave wetlands intact and encouraged greater use of irrigation and improved pasture management.
“You need to do irrigation, and in order to do that, you need water. All those demands mean that we must respect the environment. People should get out of wetlands,” he said.
Museveni criticises religious leaders who claim divinity
Museveni also used the gathering to comment on the leadership of religious movements, particularly the Faith of Unity founded by the late Desteo Bisaka in 1980.
Museveni said Bisaka’s father had been a Catholic catechist who broke with the Church over what Museveni described as sectarian teachings that divided Catholics and Protestants.
He said the Faith of Unity’s message that “sectarian differences are finished” was useful, as were its programmes aimed at improving the economic welfare of peasants.
But he criticised Bisaka for claiming divine status.
“The only problem is that he said he was also God. This was another problem,” Museveni said.
In remarks circulated from the Ruharo address, Museveni described Bisaka’s decision to call himself God as a mistake.
Bisaka, who was known to his followers as Omukama Ruhanga Owobusobozi, taught that he was “God in the flesh” and authored The Book of God of the Age of Oneness.
The Faith of Unity promotes unity among believers and economic self reliance. Its followers traditionally wear white tunics and gather for worship on the second, 12th and 22nd days of each month.
Museveni has previously attended or sent representatives to Faith of Unity functions, where he has praised its emphasis on unity and self reliance.
His remarks at Ruharo nevertheless drew a clear distinction between the movement’s social message and Bisaka’s claim to divinity.
Revival museum proposed
Museveni also welcomed a proposal to establish a museum dedicated to the East African Revival.
He said such a museum would preserve the history of the movement and recognise its contribution to Uganda and the wider world.
“On the issue of the Revival museum, I will take it. It is a symbol of civilization, our contribution to the human race,” he said.
He said the museum could also preserve stories of remarkable families and couples whose lives reflected the values promoted by the Revival.
Four couples who have been married for 75 years were honoured during the celebrations as living witnesses to the movement’s emphasis on Christian discipline and family life.
Calls to rekindle the Revival
Retired Archbishop Luke Orombi, who commissioned the anniversary celebrations, thanked Museveni for his continued support to the Church and other religious organisations.
“Thank you, Your Excellency, for supporting the Church,” Orombi said.
He urged national leaders to know the Lord and allow righteousness to guide their leadership, describing Christians as the salt of the world and the light of the earth.
Bishop Fred Sheldon Mwesigwa of Ankole Diocese said the 90th anniversary was an opportunity to reflect on the Revival’s contribution to the region and recommit to its values.
He said the Revival had contributed to Ankole’s strong Christian identity, citing data indicating that 44.9 percent of people in the region identify as Anglican.
However, Mwesigwa warned that the region continues to face challenges including alcohol abuse and HIV and called for a renewed spiritual transformation.
He also urged the Revival movement to make greater use of the media to promote positive values and called for the movement to be rekindled.
A 68 year Christian journey
Prof. John Iraaka also shared his personal testimony during the celebrations.
Iraaka said he was saved in 1958 at about 15 years old after meeting a preacher near Nile Breweries while travelling to Ruharo.
He said the preacher spoke to him about Christ, beginning a Christian journey that has now lasted 68 years.
Iraaka acknowledged that his faith weakened at certain points during his time at Ntare School and Makerere University but said he eventually returned to his Christian commitment.
Museveni said he was surprised by Iraaka’s testimony because, when they were students at Ntare School, he had considered himself the more spiritually committed of the two.
The anniversary celebrations brought together generations of Christians, including people aged 95 and above who said they were saved during the East African Revival of the 1930s and 1940s.
The event ended with a call to preserve the movement’s history while renewing its emphasis on repentance, reconciliation, discipline, service and practical Christian living.
After 90 years, the East African Revival remains part of Ankole’s religious and social identity. But the messages delivered at Ruharo suggested that its next chapter may depend on whether its original values can be applied to the region’s current challenges, from alcohol abuse and poverty to environmental degradation and the need for stronger families and communities.
