Police yet to greenlight Muslim MPs' special prayers

Police is yet to authorise a group of Muslim MPs to hold Juma prayers scheduled for Friday at Kololo Independence grounds in Kampala.

Police director of operations Asuman Mugyenyi told New Vision in an interview that Martin Okoth Ochola the Inspector General of Police had not yet responded to the MPs' request to hold the special prayers.

"They wrote to the IGP, so let them wait (for a response)," Mugyenyi said on Thursday.

Kawempe North MP Latif Sebaggala and his Kampala Central Division counterpart Muhammad Nsereko, are coordinating the prayers which they say will be dedicated to Muslim suspects held in various prisons over murder cases.

"Many Muslims have been arrested, tortured, kidnapped, denied bail and at times many are released without any charge and yet they have been tortured. So the entire Muslim community in Uganda will express its dissatisfaction with the way security operatives have handled Muslim related cases and issues," Sebaggala, who is also the parliamentary imam, said.

He said the ministry of defence is currently managing the Kololo grounds.

"We wrote to IGP on December 28, 2018 but surprisingly up to now (Thursday), he has not responded to us but we are going on with our preparations. The ministry of defence responded last week that they are okay with January 18, on condition that we get clearance from IGP," Sebaggala said.

The legislators plan to hold the prayers at Kololo Independence Grounds.

"We will continue mobilising the entire country — various imams from various districts — to come for these prayers. The prayers are going to unite all of us because we have communicated to all religious sects and all are in the know about what will take place on Friday," he said.

He said they expect representatives from Old Kampala, Kibuli, Nakasero, Spidika and Clock Tower Mosque-based Tabliqs.

Kibuli in, UMSC out

Sheikh Mahmood Kibaate, the deputy Supreme Mufti, supported the move to hold the prayers.

"I will not be there in person, but I will be with them in spirit. I support any Muslim who sympathises with a fellow Muslim that is being persecuted and fights for their rights," Kibaate said.

However, the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) spokesperson, Hajji Nsereko Mutumba, said they would not take part in the prayers.

"We finished our national prayers over this matter a few months ago and we don't expect to hold another one. Some Muslims were released without any charges and others are still in court. We only pray they get justice and ask the President to pardon those who were sentenced to life imprisonment such as Sheikh Yunus Kamoga," Mutumba said.

Kamoga, who heads the Tabliq group, and 13 others, were in August 2017 convicted of terrorism and murder of other Islamic sect leaders by the International Crimes Division of the High Court.

Kamoga and three Tabliq members were sentenced to life, while two others were given 30 years each.

The Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Mubajje, during last year's Eid al-Fitr prayers claimed that that several Muslims arrested over different murder charges had been found innocent by courts of law after undergoing a lot of torture in detention facilities.

"Government should compensate all Muslims who were arrested and tortured over criminality but were released by the courts. We also ask government to stop always seeing Muslims as the first suspects in every crime that is committed. Muslims are peaceful people," he said.

At least 19 Muslims who were arrested over the murder of former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi in March 2017, were released by court early last year after the State failed to avail satisfactory evidence to sustain their charges.

Court awarded some of them with more than sh200m compensation for torture afflicted on them when they were being held at the now closed Nalufenya detention facility in Jinja district.