Uganda

East-African republic independent from Britain in 1962; Islam reached the kingdom of Buganda from the Swahili coast in the mid-19th century — before the Christian missions — and the Muslim minority is predominantly Sunni.

☾ The Coming of Islam

Islam reaches Buganda from the coast

Islam arrived in the kingdom of Buganda in the mid-19th century, carried inland by Swahili and Arab traders from the East-African coast — arriving before the Christian missions — and gaining converts at the royal court amid the religious rivalries of the period.

☾ Religious Composition

A Muslim minority in a Christian-majority country

Uganda is predominantly Christian, with a Sunni-Muslim minority; Islam is long-established and nationally significant despite its minority share.

Demographic shares are approximate.

At a glance