Mubaje ejects Basajjabalaba from general assembly as power struggle looms at UMSC

Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has dropped Hassan Basajjabalaba as the chairperson of Bushenyi Muslim District to UMSC General Assembly.

The development comes amidst what seems like an ongoing power struggle at the Muslim body.

The UMSC Electoral Commission, chaired by its acting chairperson Abubaker Were Wadangho, officially announced the removal of Basajjabalaba while speaking to the media at Old Kampala.

“In accordance with its mandate outlined in Article 3, sub section 2(b), the commission, after extensive consultation, declares Hon. Ismail Sseguya as the rightful candidate who was duly elected to represent Bushenyi Muslim District in the UMSC General Assembly,” said Wadangho while addressing journalists.

The decision to remove Basajjabalaba was reached after a thorough investigation in response to a petition filed by a significant portion of the electorate of Bushenyi Muslim District, according to the officials at UMSC.

The petition challenged the election of Basajjabalaba as the district representative in the UMSC General Assembly during the polls held in November 2022.

According to Wadangho, the commission discovered widespread election malpractices, including forgeries committed by Basajjabalaba.

He said Basajjabalaba was wrongly listed on the declaration of results forms as the duly elected Bushenyi Muslim District Chairperson and delegate to the UMSC General Assembly in violation of the election regulations and guidelines.

He explained that the commission found that Basajjabalaba's election was invalid according to the UMSC Constitution, citing Article 29(6), which prohibits him from standing for any post within the UMSC structure.

He said that credible evidence presented by the petitioners indicated that Basajjabalaba was successfully impeached from the position of national chairman by the relevant top most organ of the council in previous years.

In December last year, the businessman Basajjabalaba and his colleagues petitioned court seeking court orders that stopped the activities of UMSC. They challenged the validity of the election of Mubaje as the chairperson of the general assembly.

Mubaje said the suits that were brought against him and the institution by Basajjabalaba and his group which led to the erroneous orders halting council activities was a direct attack on the Islamic faith.

Mubaje and Basajjabalaba were once good friends, but their friendship developed cracks in 2010 when the latter, who was the then USMC chairperson; convened an assembly and impeached Mubaje accusing him of running down the council.

A few days later, Mubaje also suspended Basajjabalaba accusing him of grabbing UMSC land in Bushenyi District where Kampala International University Teaching Hospital was built.

Despite failure to reclaim his seat as chairperson of UMSC, Basajjabalaba remains one of the three members representing Bushenyi Muslim District in the assembly.

Basajjabalaba last year bounced back as a member of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) general assembly.

During the election, Basajjabalaba sailed through unopposed as chairperson of Bushenyi Muslim District (Bushenyi, Buhweju, Rubirizi and Mitooma).

However, a section of Muslims were dissatisfied with how the election was conducted, accusing the UMSC electoral commission of failing to follow the amended UMSC constitution 2022.

Basajjabalaba is more known for his business dealings than religious responsibilities and even when he was still chairperson UMSC, a section of Muslims, especially those grounded in Islamic jurisprudence, were uncomfortable seeing him running Muslim affairs.

There has been tension at UMSC since the sacking its secretary general, Ramathan Mugalu, ending his eight-year tenure in the coveted position.

Mugalu was accused of forgery, indiscipline and mishandling of the registration of Muslim properties among others.

UMSC is a religious body that brings together all the Muslims in Uganda and its duties include organising daily prayers, coordinating Muslim leadership all over the country, planning for the annual pilgrimage, coordinating the collection of zakat, organising meetings through its organs for the day-to-day management, and coordination of activities countrywide.