Browsing by Author "Joshua Kisakye"

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    The influence of religious practices and political participation in Mukono District
    (Uganda Christian University, 2026-06-02) Joshua Kisakye
    This study investigated the effect of religious activities on political involvement in Mukono District, Uganda. It was driven by the increasing awareness of the role religious institutions have in shaping values, civic attitudes and engagement in communities. The study was concentrated on three aspects of religious practice: public or organizational, private, and religious support systems, and their impact on political participation of members of the community. The research design adopted was mixed methods, which included both a quantitative and qualitative approach. Structured questionnaires were used to get quantitative data whereas qualitative data was obtained through interviews with some religious leaders and active participants in the community. Religious institutions and community groups in Mukono District were used to obtain a sample of 160 persons through purposive and convenience sampling. Data collected were analysed using descriptive analysis (frequencies and percentages) with the aid of Microsoft Excel for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data to find out common themes related to religious influence in political engagement. The findings indicated that participation in religious practices in the public sphere, including attending church services and engaging in church activities significantly improve political awareness and civic involvement. There is an indirect connection between private religious practices (prayer, personal reflection) and participation, through their impact on moral values and civic responsibility. The study concludes that religious institutions have an important social and moral role to play in the promotion of political participation and civic responsibility. They teach, connect to, and support citizens to become more conscious of governance issues and more open to participating in the democratic process of voting and public discussion. The study suggests that civic education should be incorporated into religious education programs, and that there should be greater cooperation between religious organizations, the government, and civil society to promote civic awareness and democratic engagement.