1771: Kato Mukasa on Humanism in Uganda, Leaving Atheism for Humanism, HALEA, Critical Thinking, and Secular Activism
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Medium (Personal)
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2026/10/19
“By the time I joined secondary school I was questioning much about the God theories and believing more in employing my reasoning, research, and science in answering things that looked difficult to understand.”
“It was then that he explained Humanism in details that I then discovered that even when I had been taking myself as an atheist for some time then, I was equally a humanist too and somewhat I loved the idea and methodology behind humanism and the works done by humanists even more.”
“I began researching and finding out more about humanism that by end of 2001 I had noted there was already one humanist organisation in Uganda, the Uganda Humanists Association (UHASSO) which I later associated with and in 2007 found the Humanists Association for Leadership, Equity and Accountability (HALEA).”
“Those who do not believe in gods/ God but want to be doing works that empower the vulnerable, promote human rights and challenge retrogressive religious and cultural practices find it appropriate to label themselves as Humanists.”
“It was nice to know that there were more other people with whom we share the same world view. It made me know that I am not alone and indeed I have a family of critical thinkers I can associate with.”
“The lessons are many but they all boil down to one thing in my view: that my skills and education is useless if I do not put it to serve my passion. My passion is in empowering others to discover the potential in them and to empower the most vulnerable and powerless individuals in our communities.”
“Humanism is beyond critiquing religions and its dogma. It goes into changing people’s lives for the better and putting people first in whatever do.”
“It is important to identify freethinkers in countries where organised humanism is missing. Then it is at that stage that need to come up and support them get organised and support them start organisations that can have an impact in society.”
“The damaging effects can only be ameliorated by promoting critical thinking and getting more freethinkers to challenge the ills that comes with religion. Humanism must learn that religious people are able to rally together because they’re convinced in whatever they believe in. It is vital that humanists are well grounded in their own world view and be able to share it with the world from an informed view point.”
“Humanism is the best world view that all humans should be embracing if we re to live in a more rational, happy and free world. Humanists must dare to stand up and be counted wherever they are, we must avoid playing second fiddle to religions and endeavour to champion causes that make the gods obsessed people see the relevancy in being humanists.”
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