Mubaje warns West Nile Muslim leaders against “Kampala-based wrong characters” that have been fighting his leadership
The Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje has warned Muslims in West Nile against joining the bandwagon of “Kampala-based wrong characters” that have been fighting his leadership.
Mubaje made the remarks while presiding over a one-day West Nile Muslim regional meeting organised to explore ways to rekindle development within the Muslim community.
The Mufti was accompanied by Prof. Muhammad Lubega Kisambira, the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) National Chairperson, Huda Oleru, the State Minister of Defense in charge of Veteran Affairs and the UMSC Secretary General Ramathan Mugalu among others.
Upon arrival, Mubaje and his entourage had a guided tour of the newly constructed Koboko Darul Tahafizul Quran, an Islamic theological institute funded by the Muslim community.
In his speech to the Muslim leaders, government officials, local leaders, security chiefs, elders, women, and youth leaders, Mubaje reminded them that the West Nile region is both the historical cradle for Islam in Uganda and UMSC.
"It is shameful to hear that even some Muslims in the West Nile region have joined the bandwagon of the Kampala-based wrong characters that thrive on planting seeds of discord among the Muslim faithful,” Mubaje said.
He urged Muslims in the entire West Nile region never to allow their community leaders to divert from the noble path of serving Islam for their selfish motives.
Speaking in a stern voice, he cautioned some Kadhis in the region to be more vigilant in executing their religious duties, saying their failures are often attributed to the Mufti's office.
"Some of you are weak," he said, giving an example of how Muslim leaders of Koboko District failed to regain Kauthar Mosque in the heart of Koboko town, whose construction by the Turkish he lobbied for.
He also mentioned that he had heard of a Kadhi who dismissed his County Sheikhs for unknown reasons without bothering to communicate to the Mufti's office or other line officers at the UMSC headquarters.
He promised to spare time to visit the region for a couple of days for meaningful discussions on pressing matters affecting the progress of Islam in the region.
Prof Lubega pointed out key areas that he believed are pertinently impacting development in communities.
These included strengthening unity for a common purpose, resource mobilisation, transparency, accountability, and implementation of planned activities.
He pledged to ensure the establishment of vocational training centers, health centers, and proper utilisation of all idle Muslim lands for production as a way of protecting land from grabbers.
He donated Shs 5 million and offered two full bursaries for needy female students to study nursing at his nursing training institutes.
Mugalu urged Muslim leaders to internalize and learn to interpret properly the newly amended.
