What is "abajiri"

Abajiri, roughly translating to "The People of the Gospel," and also known as 666, is a minor eschatological Christian sect in the Luweero and Nakasongola districts of Uganda, and has since spread over the country. It was launched in 1992, when its founders split it off from the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The sect's most distinguishing practices are prohibiting the usage of mobile phones, attending local hospitals, state schooling for children, immunization, and census-taking. Members of the sect believe that when children go to a government school, or when people are subject to a census, they come into contact with Satan's number (666). Because of this, they prevent their children from attending. These beliefs are based on , in which David orders a census of Israel. God became angry, considering David's order a grave sin, and punished Israel. Since many of the children in this sect are not vaccinated and do not go to school, the local government in regions where Abajiri is prominent fears a possible outbreak of disease and illiteracy.

666 boasts of over 20,000 followers in Uganda. Other estimates estimate the group at "over a hundred members" in Luweero district. Ugandan Police estimate that the group has "over 10,000 members" in Uganda. Because of their refusal to participate in censuses, the exact number of members is not known. The government of Uganda estimates that 3% of Ugandan children are not vaccinated. It is possible that this number is influenced by the existence of the Abajiri sect.