Muslims commend Museveni, NRM for inclusion

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Muslim clerics from across the country have commended President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party government for fostering inclusion and granting Muslims greater freedom of worship and participation in national development.

The appreciation came during a national conference on peace-building, counter-terrorism and religious co-operation at the Office of the Prime Minister in Nakasero, Kampala.

The event brought together over 600 clerics, district leaders and security officials to review the success of a four-year mobilisation drive aimed at countering terrorism, radicalisation and extremism.

Several speakers, leaders from the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) and other sects, hailed Museveni for his generosity and policies that have enabled Muslims to freely practice their faith.

They pointed to achievements such as the establishment of academic institutions, the construction of iconic mosques, the allocation of land in various districts, and annual sponsorships for Muslim faithful to travel to Mecca for the holy pilgrimage of Hajj under State House funding.

“We thank President Museveni and NRM for our freedom of worship,” said Shamim Namulondo, a female cleric representing Wakiso district. But these so-called terrorists are our sons and husbands. We bear the brunt of their absence when they are jailed or killed. We request that the government balance its support with addressing the socioeconomic challenges facing Muslim leaders.”

Namulondo noted that some district Muslim leaders remain under-resourced, often lacking even basic transport means such as motorcycles to facilitate their work. 

“We are willing to mobilise support for NRM, but how can we do so on empty stomachs and when we are impoverished?” she asked in Luganda.

Bridging gap with security agencies

Other clerics expressed gratitude for the Government’s deliberate efforts to bridge the gap between Muslims and security agencies, which they said have helped dispel long-standing stereotypes that unfairly associate Islam with terrorism.

Internal affairs minister Gen Kahinda Otafiire, who delivered the keynote address, reinforced this message by urging Ugandans to stop linking Islam to acts of terror. He emphasised that most Muslims are peaceful, law-abiding citizens and should not be judged by the actions of a few individuals.

“The work of a terrorist is to kill people, but is that what all Muslims do?” he asked.

Otafiire cautioned clerics against making inflammatory statements or misinterpreting the Quran to promote selfish ambitions, warning that such rhetoric could ignite conflict and cost innocent lives.

Senior security officials also praised the progress achieved through closer engagement with Muslim communities. Assistant Inspector General of Police David Wasswa Sengendo, Director of Counter Terrorism at the Uganda Police, said the relationship has drastically improved.

“Six years ago, the situation was quite different. But over the past four years, we have seen progress.

We realised there were misconceptions about Muslim faithful,” he said.

Brig Gen Ceasar Bahwezi, head of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), added that involving all religious leaders has been instrumental in redeeming the image of Islam from the shadow of extremism.

The conference concluded with a shared commitment from both the clerics and government officials to continue strengthening collaboration, promoting peace, and ensuring that no religious group feels marginalised in Uganda’s national development agenda.