RenownedMuslim cleric Sheikh Abdul Qadir Mbogo is dead.
The news of his passing was announced by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao, through his X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday evening.
“With humble acceptance of God’s Will and in consultation with the family of the deceased, I announce the death of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Mbogo (1930 - 2026). We condole with his family and the Muslim Community and pay tribute to him for his dedicated service to Uganda and Islam since the days of the legendary Prince Nuhu Mbogo,” Mao wrote.
He dedicated more than 70 years of service to Islam in Uganda and was widely regarded as one of the most influential Muslim leaders in the country’s history.
Born on March 13, 1930 in Ntinda, Kampala, to the late Muslim Kyeswa, Sheikh Mbogo studied Islamic knowledge from an early age before pursuing further studies in Yemen.
After returning from Yemen in 1951, he served as Imam of Abdul-Azziz Bulwadda Mosque in Kampala and later rose to become District Kadhi of Kampala District.
Throughout his long service, Sheikh Mbogo worked with the Muslim community through different eras, including the period of Prince Badru Kakungulu and the development of the Kibuli Muslim establishment.
Among his most notable contributions was his role in the establishment of Kibuli Hospital.
Sheikh Mbogo is widely credited among the pioneers who mobilized Muslims across Uganda to establish the now well-known hospital in the early 1980s.
He was remembered for his transparency and integrity in handling resources during the hospital’s construction.
Sheikh Mbogo also served in leadership positions within the Muslim administration and witnessed many of the historical developments, challenges, and reconciliation efforts among Muslims in Uganda.
In addition, he contributed to the preservation of Islamic history through his book, Ebyafaayo by’Obusiraamu (“History of Islam”), in which he documented his experiences and important events in Uganda’s Muslim community.
Many Muslims regarded Sheikh Mbogo as a living archive of Uganda’s Islamic history because he personally witnessed and participated in major developments spanning from the colonial era through modern Uganda.
He was widely respected for promoting unity, honesty, community service, and Islamic education.
According to funeral arrangements released in the same announcement, Sheikh Mbogo will be laid to rest at Kiwanga, Namamve on Saturday at 4:00pm.
“Let us then unite our voices in saying this very profound Dua: Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Allah we shall return (Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un),” Mao wrote.