Kampala Arrests of Makerere Believers (1978)

On April 12, 1978, in Kampala, Uganda, roughly 200 believers connected with Makerere Church were seized by Idi Amin’s security forces and taken for interrogation. The arrests reminded the church that even public worship—singing, praying, gathering around the Word—could be treated as a crime. For many, the shock was not only the threat of violence, but the sudden separation from family, fellowship, and ordinary life.

Makerere Church served a community shaped by Makerere University and the wider city: students, lecturers, workers, and parents. When the believers were taken, fear spread quickly through homes and dormitories. Some were questioned about meetings, “subversive” speech, and perceived disloyalty, as if loyalty to Christ were political rebellion. Yet testimonies from that era often emphasize quiet steadiness: whispered prayers in holding areas, Scripture recalled from memory, and a shared resolve to speak truthfully without hatred.

Background: After Janani Luwum

The arrests came scarcely a year after the killing of Archbishop Janani Luwum (February 1977), whose death deepened the conviction that allegiance to Christ outranks allegiance to any ruler. Under a regime that demanded fear, believers were forced to relearn a basic Christian order: the state has limits, and conscience belongs to God. “But Peter and the other apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’” (Acts 5:29)

Faith Under Pressure

Not every story ended the same way—some faced extended uncertainty, loss of work, or lasting trauma—but many accounts highlight Christian attributes that shone in darkness: courage without bravado, restraint under provocation, and love that refused revenge. “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear that name.” (1 Peter 4:16)

Legacy

The Makerere arrests still call Christians to steadfastness and hope: to pray when threatened, to honor authorities without worshiping them, to speak the truth with humility, and to overcome evil with good. Their endurance remains a witness that Christ’s church can be pressed, but not possessed, by fear.