Police foil demo at city mosque

Aug 03, 2014

Police have foiled a planned demonstration at the Masjid Noor mosque located in the city centre on William Street

By Simon Masaba & Andante Okanya

Police have foiled a planned demonstration at the Masjid Noor mosque located in the city centre on William Street.

Police Sunday morning deployed heavily at the mosque to block two rival leadership factions whose demonstration was anticipated to turn violent.

As early as 6.00am, four police patrol Pickups and two trucks carrying Anti-riot personnel surrounded the mosque.

Regional Police commander Kampala South James Ruhweza explained that the Police presence was to guarantee peace.

“From our intelligence sources, there was a planned fight over the leadership row in the mosque,” Ruhweza said.

The breakaway group is headed by Swidiq Ndaula, Sheikh Ibrahim Kirya, and Amir Najib Ssonko.

According to Ruhweza, the group is faulting the head of Muslim sect, Amir Yunus Kamoga for failure to promote planned government projects.

He however declined to divulge details on the controversy surrounding the mosque, noting that it is a matter of mutual understanding and Police investigation.

“The outcome shall be made public to create free non-violent zone,” Ruhweza noted.

By press time, a group of Muslims who stood anxious, waited for the outcome of a meeting convened by Haji Moses Kigongo, Kampala Metropolitan Police commander Andrew Felix Kaweesi.

The mosque is part of the Muslim wrangles over properties, now subject of a court battle at the Lands division of the High Court in Kampala. It is still pending.

The contentious properties are plot 30, William Street, that was sold to businessman Drake Lubega

Others are plot 102 William Street (Kololo High School), plot 12-16 Old Port Bell road and 10 properties of the Muslim Sunni Association.

Speaking to New Vision yesterday, Kirya admitted that there were some internal problems. He however said they had been resolved.

On June 13, 2012, Joint Muslim Committee on Muslim Affairs requested the court to halt the case.

The then presiding judge Ruby Opio Aweri(now a Justice at the Constitutional Coourt/Court of Appeal), obliged.

He however noted that the case would only be mentioned, pending the outcome of the reconciliation efforts

Justice Wiklson Kwesiga is currently the presiding judge.The last court appearance was on June 10. The next court appearance is scheduled for October 14, to brief the court on the latest developments.

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