HABIB MUSTAFA: A new era at Old Kampala Hill

After the shifting of the Muslim Headquarters from Entebbe Road Mosque in 1971 which was by then owned by the Indian Muslim Community before the Indian dismissal to the hill of Old Kampala in 1972.

The idea started with the former president of Uganda, the late Idi Amin Dada in the 1970s, after realizing that the Catholic and Anglican communities had well-established buildings (Cathedrals) as significant emblems for their religion at the hills of Rubaga and Namirembe respectively yet the Muslims lacked any. There had to be a building to represent the Muslims on one of the hills in Kampala and thereby house the headquarters of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council that had been formed by the government in 1972.

The hill which housed the Uganda National Mosque and the headquarters of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council with over 10 acres of land in the city center thus emerging as the second largest in Africa, accommodating as many as 200,000 worshipers, seating up to 15,000 worshipers on the main mosque while holding another 1,100 in the gallery and 3,500 in the terrace.

On 3rd December 2022, the Muslims in Uganda went to polls which brought up news leaders at the Hill, The newly amended constitution of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council constituted New Councils and Committees with Specified qualifications (both theology and secular) for each position from the Mosque level to the National level. 

This led to the birth of the UMSC Youth Council, UMSC Women Council, Shuura Council, and the Property Trust and Endowment which brought Prof. Dr. Muhammadi Lubega Kisambira as the National Chairman of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Members of the National Executive Committee and Members of the General Assembly from over 15,000 Mosques, 542 counties, 78 Muslim Districts, and 10 Muslim regions with a total population of 14million Muslim in Uganda.

As it close to 1 year in leadership, the new era of “professionals” as it was named by different clerics, moved the hill from the city center to the rest of the world, a couple of mega achievements have been reached as the formulation of the UMSC Strategic Plan 2023 – 2032, A memorandum of understanding with the Republic of Saudi Arabia, Renovation of the National Mosque and construction of a multimillion building in the city center, providing a number of bursaries, international relationship among others.

The uncountable mega achievements in less than a year created strong fondness in the Muslim fraternity as they await many changes as stipulated in the UMSC Strategic Plan 2023 – 2032 and the newly amended UMSC Constitution.

Recently, the National Chairman of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council paid a courtesy visit to the South Sudan Islamic Council where many issues were discussed and reached upon as the uplifting of the social economic standards of Muslims of both Uganda and South Sudan in the fields of education, Health, Daawa, Religious activities, Research, Data Collection and management, Faith tolerance, Strengthening of Council Structures among others.

By Habib Mustafa | Email: habibmustafa@gmail.com or Tel: +256757420015