Will Muslim leaders ever survive political interference?

 

The pace was set during the colonial days when the colonial masters confirmed Prince Nooh Mbogo as the head of Muslims in Uganda yet they were very well aware that his popularity was only in Buganda (Read Abaasimba Obuyisiraamu Mu Uganda Pg. 59-60) by Prince Haji Badru Kakungulu and Dr. A.B.K Kasozi.

 

When Prince Mbogo tried to exercise his leadership as far as Bunyoro, his official known as Palapande was rejected by the local Mullahs Sadiki and Adam. When the issue reached the office of Omukama Kabalega, he intervened in support of Sadiki and Adam.

 

Prince Mbogo wrote to the colonial masters seeking their intervention, but the Provincial Commissioner declined referring to the matter as a purely religious issue. Here, we witness the very people who confirmed Mbogo as the leader of Muslims in Uganda denying him the right to administer areas outside Buganda (Bunyoro).

 

“After Mbogo’s death (1921), the Kabaka, Sir Daudi Chwa, took immediate steps to make sure that the community was put into capable hands. He also moved fast to enable Kakungulu become the leader of the Muslims, taking the initiative to see that the Lukiiko (Parliament of Buganda Kingdom) proclaimed him as such” (Read “The Life of Prince Badru Kakungulu Wasajja” Pg. 62 by Dr. A. B. K Kasozi).

 

However, in 1966, when Mengo Palace was invaded on the orders of Obote, Prince Badru Kakungulu lost his position as leader of Muslims in Uganda because he was seen as part of King Mutesa’s establishment that was threatening Obote’s political ambitions.

 

Sheikh Swaib Semakula (Sheikh Mukulu) under NAAM was then selected as the Mufti of Uganda with the backing of Obote’s political might.

 

Sheikh Mukulu’s leadership also lasted as long as the Obote I regime did. When Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada overthrew Obote’s civilian regime through a coup d’etat in 1971, Shk. Mukulu who was supposedly pro Obote abandoned his office.

 

Amin created the department of Religious Affairs in the President’s Office in order to monitor the activities of religious leaders. He ordered religious leaders from the Islamic, Roman Catholic and Anglican Protestants to go for a conference in Kabale – Kigezi which he said was aimed at resolving all internal differences within these organisations.

 

In Kabale, it was resolved that there should be a Supreme Council made up of three Muslim representatives from each district to form an organisation that would unite all Muslims in Uganda.  As per the conference’s resolutions, Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) was created and Sheikh Abdulrazak Matovu was elected as the Chief Kadhi of Uganda.

 

In 1974, Amin fell out with the UMSC administration and Sheikh Abdulrazak Matovu together with his deputy Shk. Ali Kulumba were dismissed by a commission chaired by Mr. Noah Muhammad on the orders of Amin himself.

 

At this point, the administration of Islam shifted to State House, Entebbe.

 

Amin later appointed Sheikh Yusuf Sulaiman Matovu deputised by Sheik. Anas Abdunoor Kalisa to replace Maulana Abdulrazak Matovu’s administration.

 

However, in 1977, an attempt was made on Sheikh. Yusuf Sulaiman’s life through a suspicious dubious accident. Amin forced him to resign shortly after. It is believed that his comments on the death of Archbishop Janan Luwum angered Amin.

 

Following this development, Amin took control of Muslim affairs. By 1979, UMSC headquarters had only two defacto leaders in the names of Al Haji Mufanjala and Shk Ahmada Mukasa who were the Secretary General and Secretary for Religious Affairs respectively and they were acting as Mufti and heads of the entire Muslim administration.

 

When Julius Nyerere’s Bakombozi (soldiers) overran Amin’s soldiers, which resulted in his over throw, Al Haji Mufanjala and Shk. Ahmada Mukasa who were holding key offices at UMSC headquarters also fled leaving a vacuum in Muslim leadership.

 

To fill this Vaccum, Paulo Muwanga together with Shk. Ali Senyonga went to Prince Kakungulu who appointed Sheikh Kassim Mulumba as Ag. Chief Kadhi of Uganda with Shk. Muhammad Ssemakula Shk. Ali Kivumbi as his deputies. This was under the leadership of President Yusuf Lule, Godfrey Binaisa and then after the military commission which was headed by Paulo Muwanga who used his influence as the chairman of the military commission to support Kassim Mulumba’s leadership.

 

When UPC won the controversial elections of 1980, the military commission handed over to the elected President Dr. Milton Apollo Obote. Kassim Mulumba’s leadership also ended with the military commission.

 

During Obote II regime, Shk. Obeid Kamulegeya was elected by the UMSC General Assembly which sat in Makerere as a Chief Kadhi, deputised by Shk. Anas Kinyiri. Maulana Abdulrazaak Matovu became the Mufti, replacing Sheikh Kassim Mulumba who was a Chief Kadhi/Mufti of Uganda. This leadership had the support of Obote, Chris Rwakasisi, Luwuliza Kirunda and many UPC stalwarts. Historically, NAAM and UPC had a strong bond.

 

When Tito Okello overthrew the Obote II regime in 1985, the then entire leadership of UMSC ran in disarray leaving all offices empty.

 

On January 26, 1986, NRA/NRM led by President Museveni took over and found an ongoing reconciliation process which was initiated by the World Muslim League (WML) based in Makkah Saudi Arabia. This reconciliation initiative was being chaired by Mubarak Gasamallah Zeyid, representing WML and they were in their final implementation which was to be done in Makkah. Both representatives of the two opposing groups i.e. one led by Shk. Abdu Obed Kamulegeya and the other led by Shk. Qasim Mulumba had left for Makkah Saudi Arabia at the Headquarters of WML in Makkah on January 25, 1986.

 

Among the prominent members involved were; Mauwlana Abdulrazak Matovu, Qasim Mulumba, Abdu Obed Kamulegeya, Shk. Abdu Noor Kaliisa, Shk. Isa Khalifa Lukwago, Haji Sulaiman Mutumba, Shk. Zubair Kayongo, Haji Juma Yousuf Walusimbi and Shk. Asumani Mbubi.

 

They came back with a famous Makkah Agreement which ushered in an interim leadership led by Shk. Hussein Rajab Kakooza as the Chief Kadhi and Shk. Saad Ibrahim Luwemba as the Deputy Chief Kadhi.

 

Here, we witness a UMSC leadership ushered in not by Muslims of Uganda but by external (Saudi Arabia) influence.

 

The interim leadership which was put in place by the Makkah Agreement was supposed to last for only one year after which elections were to be held between November 7 and 28, 1986.

 

Between February 22, 1986 and September 18, 1986, UMSC Interim leadership was supposed to amend the 1972 UMSC constitution and to have a new democratically elected leadership put in place in line with the UMSC new amended constitution.

 

Although Shk. Luwemba was constitutionally elected in the 1987 UMSC elections, he was denied to take over office by the interim leadership led by Shk. Hussein Rajab Kakooza.

 

Sheikh Luwemba took the matter to court and after a long court battle; he won the case and took office as the Mufti of Uganda in 1991deputised by Shk. Muhammad Semakula. In other words, Shk. Luwemba assumed leadership with the mandate of the Supreme Court.

 

In 1993, Prof. Kanyeihamba’s commission with support from government tried to bring in Shk. Ahmad Mukasa as the Mufti of Uganda deputised by Shk. Zubair Kayongo – under the Mbarara Declaration. However, this ended in a fiasco.

 

Sheikh Saad Luwemba held on to the position of Mufti of Uganda until 1997 when he passed on.

 

His deputy, Shk. Muhammad Ssemakula assumed the position of Ag. Mufti until the year 2000 when nationwide elections from the Mosque level to the national level were held, in which Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje was unanimously elected as the universal Mufti of Uganda without any external/political pressure. We thank Hajat Anuna Omar Special Senior Adviser to His Excellency the President on political/Director of Muslim affairs for taking a lead in soliciting for funds from various Muslim organisations and other sources to facilitate the elections. She did all this without vested interests in the elections. Bravo to Hajat Anuna Omar and NRM government.

 

Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje has remained unchallenged as the constitutional head and leader of Muslims in Uganda up to date as stipulated in Article 5 of the UMSC Constitution.

 

It is only the current Mufti who came into office following a formal and historical handover ceremony presided over by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on January 6, 2001.

 

Bravo to NRM government under President Museveni for its clear policy of noninterference in religious affairs and freedom of worship.

 

In 2012, the current UMSC administration under the leadership of Shk. Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje was able to successfully hold countrywide elections for UMSC structures without any external pressure. This never happened in previous UMSC administrations, which were always under political/external pressure.

 

The duty is now on all of us Muslims to ensure that our leadership does not fall victim to political/external influence or regime change. This can only be achieved if we stick to the teachings of the Holy Quran, Hadith and UMSC constitution, and avoid thinking that external forces can solve our problems.

 

We have to value discipline within our fraternity, because indiscipline breeds disorder, disorder breeds disorganisation, disorganisation breeds conflict, conflict breeds chaos. Any chaotic society will never attain development neither will it ever be united.