Let us be sincere, Muslims have benefitted from NRM

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba

I am writing in response to a news article which appeared recently in the local vernacular daily in which members of the so called Muslim Youth Development Platform (a pro-opposition group) are reported to have said that the NRM government has done nothing for Muslims and Islam in Uganda and, therefore, Muslims should not vote for its candidate, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

In the same article, the Muslim Youth Development Platform is reported to have connections with the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) Headquarters Old Kampala.

As the UMSC spokesperson, I would like to inform the public that UMSC has a policy of zero tolerance for any form of political activism within its structures.

In fact UMSC is one of the institutions that have been mandated to play an observer role in the upcoming elections. Therefore, it does not have any special connections with any political pressure group.

On the issue of contributing to Islam and Muslims in Uganda, President Museveni/NRM’s contributions speak for themselves.

Muslims have been part of the NRA/NRM struggle since its inception in the 1980s to date with Al Haji Moses Kigongo playing a key role. In this period, especially following the capture of power by NRA in 1986, Muslims have directly and indirectly benefitted a lot from the various programmes put in place by President Museveni’s leadership.

The only challenge has been failure by the concerned government officials to document and disseminate the NRM government’s contributions to the political, academic and economic empowerment of Muslims in Uganda.
These contributions have been growing with time I am glad to share some of them here.

Prior to NRM’s struggle and rise to power, Muslims in Uganda had been torn apart by the perennial leadership wrangles. This is the price the Ugandan Muslims paid in terms of spiritual, education, economic and political empowerment.

When the NRM government under President Museveni came into power in 1986, it supported the then ongoing reconciliation efforts to bring about Muslim unity in Uganda. It also immediately recognised the official Muslim leadership at UMSC Headquarters Old Kampala and offered its moral support for the 2000 UMSC elections which led to the election of H.E Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje as the undisputed Mufti of Uganda.

President Museveni personally attended the swearing in ceremony of Shk. Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje as Mufti of Uganda as the Chief Guest and gave him an official car (MUFTI 1) which he used to traverse the country to promote his leadership slogan of unity and development.

The number of vehicles given to UMSC by the President has since increased to over 22 with the most recent ones going to the District Kadhis of Bugiri, Isingiro, Kaliro, Masaka, Jinja, Wakiso, Butaleja, Kumi and Kabale Muslim Districts.
President Museveni personally intervened in the process of securing the UMSC Headquarters Old Kampala land title which he handed over to the Muslim leadership in 1999.
He also lobbied for the building of the National Mosque popularly known as ‘Gaddafi Mosque’ and the UMSC Headquarters at Old Kampala.

Under his leadership and with his mandate, many Muslims like the late Dr. Sulaiman Kuggundu, late Abubakar Kakyama Mayanja, Hajat Abbey Balunzi Mukwaya, Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, Haji Kirunda Kivejinja, Haji Aziz Kasuja, Hajat Saida Bbumba, Haji Moses Kigongo, Eng. Dr. Badru Kiggundu, Rukia Nakadama, Gen. Moses Ali, Gen. J.J Odong and many others have served in government key positions and other are still serving.
The NRM leadership guaranteed freedom of worship under which Muslims have continued to practice their religion freely.
Mosques are being constructed even in places where they were previously prohibited; i.e. public universities and schools.

Muslim Radio stations like Radio Bilal, Voice of Africa, Pearl FM, Masaba FM and Yumbe FM are free to air Islamic programmes freely. This is in addition to the time accorded to Islamic preaching on National TV and the live broadcast of Eid prayers by the national Broadcasters UBC TV and Star TV. By allowing such projects and programmes, the Government has contributed greatly to Islamic propagation.

It should also be noted that programmes like NAADS, UPE, USE, Bona Bagaggawale (Prosperity for all) funds, affirmative action, the youth fund, wealth creation, privatisation etc may not be exclusive for Muslims but the NRM leadership introduced them with the aim of taking services nearer to the people and modernising the country.

Muslims who took advantage of these initiatives have greatly transformed their lives for the better. 

Some Muslims ventured into the education sector while others went for trading, agriculture, transportation, estates business, health, politics, civil society etc.

As a result, today Muslims in Uganda boast of great schools, hospitals, universities and businesses countrywide.

Muslim founded schools like Nabisunsa Girls, Kibuli S.S. Kawempe Muslim, Gombe S.S and several others are now producing the best O and A level students in the country. Previously, this was a preserve of schools like Gayaza, Budo, Namagunga, Mwiri, Ntare, Bweranyangi etc.

Many Muslims have established primary and secondary schools country wide and these schools are doing very well. We have Taibah Schools, Iqra schools, Kinaawa Schools, Mbogo High schools, Mariam High, Hawa S.S, Hana S.S and many others.

Muslim proprietors have established universities like Kampala International University by Hassan Basajjabalaba and Kampala University by Prof. Badru Kateregga.

Professor Balunywa is the Principal of Makerere University Business School (MUBS). This makes him the first Muslim to head a government owned higher institution of learning.

The Islamic University in Uganda is currently one of the best universities in Uganda and this accomplishment is as a result of NRM’s continued intervention and support right from the level of building to licensing and expansion.

President Museveni donated large pieces of land to IUIU to cater for its future expansion and development projects, i.e. a piece of land on Mbale Tirinyi road and another one in Nakawa – Kampala.

In addition; the President personally lobbied King Fahd of Saudi Arabia who donated King Fahd Plaza as a source of income for IUIU.

The Islamic Call University College has been established by UMSC and licensed by the government to educate the nation’s children.

There are very vibrant Muslim civil society organisations that have been approved by government to do community work countrywide and the leaders of these CSOs are very grateful to the NRM government. Among them are Muslim Center for Justice and Law led by Jaffer Senganda and Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum led by Ahmed Hadji.

Through the Inter Religious Council of Uganda, UNICEF and UNFPA; UMSC is implementing several government programmes under health, population, education and peace. This partnership has enabled UMSC to build the capacity of all its structures and Muslim leaders. Muslim leaders have been trained and equipments like vehicles, computers, motorcycles, bicycles, furniture, etc have been secured.

Islamic Banking has been given a green light by the President and UMSC Halal standards are recognised by the government.

Uganda is still a member of OIC and Muslim World League thanks to President Museveni’s commitment to maintaining relations with Muslim organisations and nations.

As a result, Muslim students at all levels of education continue to benefit from scholarships which enable them to study in countries like Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iran, Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Kuwait, Malysia and Turkey.

By guaranteeing freedom of worship, the NRM government has given Muslims their most desired right to worship Allah in line with the Islamic teachings. Muslims believe that with Allah, everything is possible and without Allah, all is not well.

Despite the above achievements, there are challenges facing the Ummah that need to be addressed. We have lost several Muslim clerics in a wave of shootings by elements that are yet to be brought to justice. More of our prominent Muslims are living under fear following murder attempts and threats against them.

The Amiir Ummah Sheikh Muhammad Yunus Kamoga and his colleagues have been denied bail yet it is their right.

The state has failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that they are guilty.
This issue deserves an urgent and a massive government action.

Otherwise, Muslims have greatly benefitted from NRM government led by His Excellency Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

The writer is the UMSC Spokesperson