This archive report was first published on 13 August 2020.
On the last Friday of July, Eid al-Adha celebrations in Uganda highlighted a long-standing issue of sectarianism in the country's allocation of opportunities.
Some Ugandan Muslim clerics used the occasion to express their frustration with what they see as discriminative sectarianism against them.
Sheikh, a Muslim cleric, questioned why Muslims continue to be relegated to assistant or deputy positions, despite many having excelled academically.
His complaint came at the end of a weeklong controversy surrounding a group of comedians, known as 'zontos,' who were arrested for listing powerful men in the country and urging children to pray for them.
The zontos were accused of fanning tribal sectarianism, but were later freed without charge.
However, their actions sparked a national conversation about inequality and sectarianism in the country.
As Parliament passed a bill to create 47 new constituencies, some MPs accused the cabinet of sectarianism, citing unequal representation in different areas.
MPs accused the state of discriminating against some areas, with one constituency having one MP for 600,000 people, while another area with 300,000 people had five MPs.
It was the zontos who helped raise this important matter, which has been hurting the country's educated and sophisticated people.
Uganda's anti-sectarianism law targets those who talk about sectarianism, not those who practice it.
After their release, the zontos resumed their 'education' of the children, describing the health services of the country in comparison to other East African Community states.
However, their timing is dicey, given the upcoming election.
