Religious leader in Acholi Sub-region of Uganda links rise in domestic violence to gambling, urging men to return to honest work and restore family values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uganda: In a passionate Idd-ul-Fitr<\/strong> sermon that reverberated beyond mosque walls, the Acting Khadi (Islamic Judge or religious leader) of Acholi Muslim District, Sheikh Badiya Faraj<\/strong>, issued a clarion call to men across the region to ditch gambling<\/strong>, embrace hard work and reclaim their role in the home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheikh Badiya didn’t mince his words as he tied the rise in domestic violence in the sub-region to a culture of idleness and reliance on get-rich-quick schemes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “My dear Muslim brothers and sisters, work is very important to all of us. We need to work so that we can maintain our families. Some of us don’t want to work, which leads to the disintegration of families,” said Badiya, according to the Uganda Monitor<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He blamed the spike in violence within homes on men abandoning their familial responsibilities in favour of gambling activities such as sports betting and card games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Holy Prophet<\/strong> taught us that we should be eating from our sweat, that is, by working. Some families are breaking away because we as men have abandoned our responsibilities of taking care of homes. We must work hard so that we maintain and we take care of our homes,” he urged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His impassioned plea comes at a time when domestic and gender-based violence<\/strong> figures in the Acholi region are sounding alarm bells. This sub-region ranks second in the country for reported cases, accounting for a staggering 27 per cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The national picture is equally grim as the country’s annual crime report<\/strong> revealed that 14,073 domestic violence cases were reported in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, Isaac Mugerwa<\/strong>, the officer in charge of Criminal Investigations at Kitgum Central Police Station, painted a broader picture of the root causes behind the violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I realised that most murders in the district are as a result of domestic violence, and this partly comes as a result of alcoholism<\/strong>. In addition, during the harvesting period, some men want to take the lion’s share, and this usually results in family fights. Another common cause of domestic brawls in the area is marriage before paying dowry,” he explained to the Uganda Monitor.<\/p>\n\n\nThe domestic violence numbers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n