Rukungiri Muslim leaders sworn in

By Caleb Bahikaho

The newly-elected chairperson of Rukungiri/Kanungu Muslim community, Abdullah Nzigira, has warned Muslim leaders who are not ready to serve the people to resign.

Nzigira expressed concern over leaders who failed to turn up for the swearing-in ceremony without giving any apology. “This is our first meeting and the law is clear, you cannot do anything before swearing in and signing the oath. To my surprise, nine out of 25 members are not present in this meeting,” he observed.

Nzigira made the remarks on Thursday after swearing in as chairperson for the Muslim community of Rukungiri and Kanungu districts at Rukungiri Primary School. The district Khadhi, Sheikh Abdullah Mpabuka, presided over the swearing in of Nzigira, Silagi Kiconco, the secretary and Adam Shaban, the treasurer.

The other members of the committee were sworn in by Nzigira. Two national delegates, Suleiman Sekibi and Ali Rugomwa oversaw the exercise. Rugomwa said the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council wants to ensure that committees at all levels start functioning as soon as possible.

“From here, we want you to go down to the county level to preside over the swearing in of their councils. They should become operational immediately and nobody should attend a meeting or do any work on behalf of the Muslim community before swearing and signing this oath,” Rugomwa warned.

He wondered why some of the leaders could not turn up for the swearing-in ceremony when they were fighting to be elected. Most of those who were being sworn in struggled to read the oath that was written in English. Mpabuka said
next time they would write the oath in local languages.

He urged the lower councils to use their local languages when swearing in their members. The elections for Muslim leaders were conducted countrywide recently.