religion:
According to the 1995 Ugandan Constitution, there is no national religion in Uganda and citizens enjoy freedom of religious belief. The residents mainly believe in Catholicism (accounting for 45% of the total population), Protestantism (40%), and Islam (11%), while the rest believe in Eastern Orthodoxy and primitive fetishism. [4]
custom:
Religious beliefs play an important role in political and social life in Uganda, with some political parties based on religious beliefs. In Uganda, there are many Catholics, so when interacting with Ugandans, the following situations should be noted:
When interacting with Catholics, one should not ask "how many children are there" when meeting a bishop, and should not ask "where does the lady work" when meeting young priests and nuns; Try to avoid scheduling meetings and other activities on Sundays; Do not run, make loud noises, compete for seats, etc. in the church, and do not allow eating, smoking, etc. in the church.
Ugandans are generally warm and hospitable, welcoming them with hugs and handshakes. Most tribes greet each other after sitting down, and at this time, the lady needs to kneel or slightly bend down. The Ugandans have a rich variety of food, mainly consisting of corn, rice bananas, sorghum, cassava, sweet potatoes, and potatoes as their staple foods. Ugandan businessmen always negotiate business in the office, usually not in restaurants or hotels.
There are basically no taboo topics when socializing with Ugandan businessmen, but in most meetings, even in informal evenings, people tend to prioritize business, and world events and various artistic topics are also popular.
In Uganda, there are many social activities outside of office hours. Inviting Ugandan business personnel for meals is definitely one of the invited activities, unless otherwise specified. A 10% tip is generally given to waiters, baggage handlers, and taxi drivers. Ugandans rarely smoke and do not like people smoking around them. Smoking in indoor and outdoor public places should be kept away from locals, otherwise there may be protests. Ugandans queue up to handle affairs and do not like people jumping in line or making noise. In Ugandan homes, there are small thatched huts or decorations for worshipping ancestors, which are not suitable for outsiders to touch.
A family of Karamoja people in northern Uganda generally owns a lot of cattle and sheep, but the owner taboos guests asking how many cattle and sheep they have, and does not allow others to count the number of cows or give directions to the lambs. They believe that counting cows can lead to the loss of cows, and they point out that lambs can cause them to fall ill. Some tribes do not like to touch children's heads with their left hand, believing that this will prevent them from growing taller.
