Sheikh Shaban Ramathan Mubajje, Uganda’s Mufti, led a group of sheikhs to State House in Entebbe on Tuesday evening to inform President Museveni that all Muslim factions have reconciled and are now united.
Sheikh Obeid Kamulegeya, the former chairperson of Kibuli’s college of eminent sheikhs, Sheikh Muhammad Yunus Kamoga, the leader of Uganda’s Tabliqs (Muslim youth), Sheikh Kasule Ndirangwa, the former supreme mufti, and his deputy Sheikh Muhamood Kibaate, and Sheikh Hamid Umar Kateregga made up the delegation.
Hajj Ramanthan Mugalu, the secretary general of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), Hajj Faruk Kamulegeya, and Hajj Muhamood Masaba were among the others.
Mr Museveni praised the group for coming together, noting that various people have distinct talents and qualities that are only valuable when they are combined.
“I am overjoyed because the NRM has always known that unity is strength. We’ve always preached against sectarianism. “I want to express my gratitude to you for achieving this togetherness,” the president added.
The Muslim faithful are divided into two administrations, one led by Mufti Mubajje at the UMSC headquarters in Old Kampala and the other led by Sheikh Muhammad Galabuzi at Kibuli Hill.
A group of Muslim leaders who spoke to the Daily Monitor yesterday expressed satisfaction with the progress, but cautioned that the attempt would be worthless unless the present parallel administration in Kibuli was fully involved.
Apart from Sheikh Kamoga, according to Imam Idi Kasozi, a Muslim scholar and university don, no others occupy leadership positions in any of the warring Muslim factions.
Those who represented Kibuli, according to Imam Kasozi, are past leaders with no power and no impact in the community.
“We applaud the efforts of Muslims to unite, but what we saw on Tuesday evening was not the final result to be praised; it would have been more appropriate if the mufti went to State House with key leaders from the Muslim community.”
Sheikh Ndirangwa, the Supreme Mufti of Kibuli, left last year for unknown reasons, while Sheikh Kamulegeya was removed of his duties and shifted allegiance to Old Kampala. Sheikh Kibaate, the deputy supreme mufti of Kibuli, was also replaced in the recent upheaval, with Sheikh Galabuzi assuming the role of supreme mufti.
Mr Ali Kankaka, president of the Uganda Muslim Lawyers Association (UMLA), said that in order to establish enduring unity, the current constitutional review process must be finished in an honest and fair manner in order to resolve the lingering concerns that have caused Muslim differences.
“People can come together and agree, and they have been doing so since the 1980s, but this time, we pray for a more streamlined constitutional structure that ensures proper accountability.”
He claims that as Muslim lawyers, they have given their legal skills to ensure that the proposed revisions to the 1987 UMSC constitution are handled appropriately and that the election of new Muslim leaders is undertaken in an open and fair manner.
“As Muslims attorneys, we will have established a basis for permanent unity once that process is completed and all Muslims of various colors participate in picking their future leaders,” he said.
Dr Muhammad Kiggundu, the head of Kibuli’s Communication Research and International Relations, told the media yesterday that they were never invited nor involved in the ostensibly reconciliatory process.
“We would like to tell the public that the Supreme Khadi (regional leaders) and Muslim leadership structures in the country were not invited or participating in the ostensibly unification meetings with the President,” he said.
“We are open to honest, authentic, and sincere dialogue that leads to Muslim unity and high-quality service delivery,” he stated.
Background
Since the arrival of Islam in Uganda in 1844, Ugandan Muslims have struggled to find unity.
Former president Idi Amin “unified” Muslims under the cover of UMSC in 1972. When his administration was ousted in 1979, however, the unity was short-lived.
Muslims re-united in 2000, shortly after Sheikh Mubajje was elected.
After Sheikh Mubajje’s leadership was accused of illegally selling Muslim property on William Street in Kampala, tensions arose a few years later.
Opponents of his leadership took the case to court, where he was later exonerated. They were, however, unsatisfied with the ruling and formed a rival leadership at Kibuli Mosque. Several people, including President Museveni and Muslim MPs, have sought to mediate in the past but have been unsuccessful.
Although the property has now been returned to Muslims and Sheikh Mubajje publicly apologized, some Muslims believe that this is insufficient because he has not personally reconciled with major Kibuli leaders, including the titular head of state.
