TITLE:
Interreligious Council of Uganda & Veneration of African Ancestors: Ritualized Fundraising Drive towards Financial Sustainability of Christian and Muslim-Founded Universities
AUTHORS:
Israel Samson Musana
KEYWORDS:
University, Fundraising, Veneration, Christianity, Islam
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.2,
January
30,
2026
ABSTRACT: The paper tussles with the question: In what ways can the “Interreligious Council of Uganda” occasionally honour and celebrate the historical legacy of African ancestors to generate money towards the financial sustainability of Christian and Muslim founded Universities? Two methods: literary and historical analysis were used to respond to the research question. Results show that the government of Uganda allocates externally sourced aid to lower-line education institutions, but the impact of such support is minimal. Poor infrastructure and demotivated employees are miserable displays on the ground. To make matters worse, the privately established religious universities are facing it tough to run academic programmes, meet the workforce’s remuneration needs, and expand infrastructure to meet the growing demand for education. Some universities are on the brink of extinction, while others have raised their voices in surrender. Interestingly, in Uganda, a common hierarchical cultural system cuts across all tribes, but Christian and Muslim religious leaders have not ventured into venerating African ancestors who have played significant roles in promoting literacy education. The pioneering work of Ugandan ancestors in education, health, and spiritual nurture is visible across the country. However, their success stories are silent. It is such stories that need to be constructed, and memories celebrated. Young generations need to be made aware that there existed African ancestors, who sacrificed their time and resources to build a better future that they are swimming in today. If religious leaders venture into the arena of honouring African ancestors and tag such celebrations as raising funds to support academic institutions, then religiously founded universities would move towards the financial sustainability of academic programme delivery. Certainly, the admirable initiatives of Uganda Christian University Sunday can serve as a catalyst to influence interfaith fundraising drives across the country.