Ndirangwa's 5 years in office

RELIGION|MUSLIMS|SUPREME MUFTI

On December, 16, 2015, Sheikh Siliman Kasule Ndirangwa was appointed Supreme Mufti of the Kibuli-based Muslim faction.

This followed the death of Sheikh Zubair Sowedi Kayongo in April 2015 at the Aga Khan Hospital in DaresSalaam, Tanzania.

At his inauguration ceremony at Kibuli Mosque, Ndirangwa based his address on Caliph Abubakar's inaugural speech as the first successor of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Upon the death of Prophet Muhammad in 632AD, Abubakar was elected as the leader of the Muslim community upon which he made an impressive speech that attracted the attention of many people, particularly members of the Muslim community.

It is the same speech that Ndirangwa repeated at Kibuli as he gave an extract into how he will run the office of the Supreme Mufti.

"I am not the best among you. If I do well, then help me and if I act wrongly, then correct me. I am not among those that don't want to be corrected," Ndirangwa said.

"Truthfulness is synonymous with fulfilling the trust and lying is equivalent to treachery. The weak among you is deemed strong by me,until I return to them that which is rightfully theirs, and the strong among you is deemed weak by me until I take from them what is rightfully not theirs."

In regard to unity, Ndirangwa says the process is to ensure that all Muslims unite on issues of common concern.

"We may not agree on everything, but we want to ensure that we speak with one voice on issues of common concern, regardless of our differences in tribes and origin because our religion is supreme," Ndirangwa said.

He said his vision is to ensure total unity among the Muslim community. Ndirangwa, however, says his mission is being frustrated by limited resources.

"I, however, thank Good Samaritans who have always responded to our call whenever the need arises and I call upon all Muslims to respond to our calls because it is their duty to develop their religion," Ndirangwa said.

Who is Ndirangwa?

Ndirangwa was born on October 9, 1962, to the late Hajji Muhammad Kasule and Hajjat Ajiri Nakawungu of Kirayangoma in Lwengo district.

He started his education career at Madarasat Noor Kirayangoma before moving on to Sseke Primary School in Lwengo, where he completed Primary Seven.

In 1974, he joined Bilal Islamic Institute for O'level and graduated with an Idaad certificate with which he enrolled at Dar-alhadith Makkiyah in Mecca, Saudi Arabia for his equivalent of the A'level in both secular and religious studies.

In 1992, he was appointed the Imaam of Kibuli Mosque, a position that cast him in the limelight.

In 2000, Ndirangwa passed unopposed to become a representative of the Kibuli Twaale (County) at Uganda Muslim Supreme Council.

He was later appointed Kampala district kadhi by now Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Ramadhan Mubajje.