Jinja, (UG): The members of the general assembly Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) from Busoga Muslim Region have disassociated themselves from sacking the mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramathan Mubajje citing that the action taken purportedly dismissing the mufti of Uganda was illegal and uncalled for.
It should be noted that on Sunday (December 17), a section of members of UMSC general assembly sat at Gangu Muslim primary school in Wakiso district and purportedly dismissed the Mufti Sheikh Shaban Ramathan Mubajje and the chairman UMSC Al-hajj Prof Dr Muhamadi Lubega Kisambira, replacing them with interim Mufti Sheikh Abudallah Ssemambo(the first deputy of Mufti Mubajje) and interim chairman Mr. Isa Gule.
Led by the regional assistant to His Eminence the Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Dr Hussein Muhammad Bowa, the members jointly opposed and condemned the action taken purportedly dismissing the Mufti of Uganda and swearing-in of an interim Mufti to act in the next six months.
The joint statement was presented by the national executive member UMSC Sheikh Songolo Shafic Edrisa and a member of the general assembly from Jinja Muslim district in a Monday press conference organized at the offices of Iganga Muslim Supreme Council at Mecca mosque in Iganga town.
“We the members of the general assembly from Busoga Muslim region led by Dr Hussein Muhammad Bowa, the regional assistant to His Eminence the Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramathan Mubajje, vehemently and categorically oppose and condemn the action taken purportedly dismissing the mufti of Uganda and alleged swearing-in a so-called Mufti in acting capacity for a period of six months,” reads part of the joint statement.
The members stated that the action was against Article 5 of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council constitution which states how the Mufti of Uganda comes into and goes out of power.
“We’re saying that the action taken was anti-Islamic, unconstitutional, illegal and uncalled for. You can refer to the constitution of UMSC article 5 to understand and know how the Mufti of Uganda is chosen, how he comes into power and how he gets out of power,” reads the statement.
The members later appended their signatures as members of the general assembly from the Busoga Muslim region in objection to what was done on Sunday at Gangu Muslim primary school in Wakiso district.
Sheikh Songolo said that the Sunday gathering at Ganda was unconstitutional citing that members who gathered were not legitimate in selecting the Mufti of Uganda, a process which calls for a college of sheikhs who vets names and agree before presenting names to the general assembly.
“That kind of gathering was unconstitutional because members who gathered there are not the legitimate members who have the authority to select the Mufti of Uganda,”
“The Mufti is selected through a procedure where a college of sheikhs vets names of the incoming Mufti and convenes joint session of the executive and a college of sheikhs to agree on the mufti that was agreed upon and vetted under the college of sheikhs then later presented to the general assembly,” Sheikh Songolo said.
The regional assistant to Mufti Busoga Muslim region Sheikh Bowa said UMSC is an entity with a constitution which steered its leadership since 1972 and that it was in 2023 amended to suitably guide proper leadership in UMSC.
He added that the issues surrounding the heated tests in the UMSC surpasses selling Muslim property given the constitution which stipulates how property can be handled or disposed of.
“These issues are not all about selling Muslim property because Mufti cannot sell properties but goes through committees to the executive before implementing and it’s what Mubajje did. Our constitution allows Mufti to do so and can transform property which we may sight to be unproductive and get importance out of it as agreed,” Sheikh Bowa said before giving an example of buildings he bought using the money from Sembabule.
The member of the general assembly from Luuka Muslim district Sheikh Bruhan Abdulkadir Byekwaso said that members of the general assembly from Busoga Muslim region and the district Kadhis exhibited their disassociation with the matter by signing against the matter in reference to article 5 of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council constitution.
The Monday press conference was attended by the district Kadhis from the region, members of the general assembly led by Dr Hussein Bowa and the area leadership of Mufti.
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