____________________

Kampala minister Hajat Minsa Kabanda has asked Muslims to vote for President Yoweri Museveni in the 2026 general election.

While Museveni has not officially declared his candidature, Kabanda says in case he stands, Muslims should vote for him because he has greatly contributed to the development of the Muslim community in the country.

“I request you to vote for President Museveni in the 2026 general elections so that when I request him to support us, it becomes very easy for me. You are here thanking me for responding to every cause of the Muslim community but if he did not appoint me, would I be in a position to do this? You should, therefore, support him,” Kabanda said in a soft voice.

Kabanda has also encouraged Muslims to support each other regardless of their political affiliations.

She made the remarks during the launch of a shillings four billion drive for a new Muslim cemetery at Hotel Africana in Kampala on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

Kabanda also urged all Muslim leaders to join the cause and support the initiative because it is not for individuals but for the benefit of the entire Muslim community.

“This ideal is very good because many people have sold off their land and have nowhere to be buried and that is why we should support it,” Kabanda said.

Embrace government projects 

She also implored Muslims to embrace government projects and the existence of Islamic banking if they were to change their income status.

“These projects are for all Ugandans including us (Muslims) and you should not be side-lined,” she said.

Imam Idd Kasozi, a member of the steering committee for the project, said they resolved to come up with the drive because Nkoowe Cemetery is at full capacity and the remaining space can accommodate only minors.

“The initiative started in December last year and so far, we have collected shillings 1.7 billion from different institutions and Muslim communities where Speaker of Parliament Anita Among also donated shillings 50 million for the same cause,” he said.

Kasozi added that the initiative is headed by a committee of 15 members from the Uganda Muslims Welfare Association (UMWA), among others to buy 130 acres on Mityana Road for Nkoowe phase II.

“Our target was to have the funds within six months starting from December 2023 but we have so far covered four months and we still have a long way to go,” he said.

He revealed that the Nkoowe cemetery accommodated over 20,000 graves and every week they could receive between 15 to 20 people.

“We need to have Nkoowe II like yesterday because Muslims are struggling to get where to put their deceased and others incur more cost to reach their ancestral homes,” he said

He added that the old cemetery was 16 acres but after opening boundaries, they realised that half of it was in a wetland.

During the Ramadhan drive, Pearl FM collected shillings 160 million.

Hajji Haruna Kibirige said the idea of the Muslim cemetery was brought to them by Imam Ssentongo, the former Makerere University Imam.

The Muslim cemetery initiative was started by the late Businessman Hajji Bulaimu Muwanga Kibirige of BMK Companies 15 years back and he was laid to rest at the same cemetery in 2021.

Despite being under BMK companies, Haji Muwanga offered the cemetery to the Muslim community, especially for those who lacked burial spaces and those who wish to be buried in a cemetery.

The relatives of the deceased must present a recommendation letter from the area Muslim leader (Imam) confirming the details about the deceased.

Then you pay money for preparing the grave which was sh85,000 and then you go ahead with burial arrangements.