The registration programme was launched at the Karamoja Muslim District Council headquarters in Moroto District, bringing together district management committee members, county sheikhs, imams and amirats for the commissioning of the new registration system.
The Mosque Membership Register, the first of its kind in the Teso-Karamoja Region, is expected to provide accurate data on the Muslim population, enabling UMSC to better plan and deliver education, healthcare and other social services.
Speaking during the launch, the Regional Assistant to the Mufti for the North Eastern Muslim Region, Sheikh Abubakar Umar Obilan, said the initiative will also introduce mosque-based birth and death records to help the council maintain up-to-date records of the Muslim population.
"With proper data, we shall know our numbers, our needs and how best to serve our people," Sheikh Obilan said.
He thanked the Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, for approving the creation of the North Eastern Muslim Region, saying the new administrative structure has already enhanced service delivery and accelerated development initiatives across the region.
Sheikh Obilan said the Mufti is closely monitoring the registration exercise as a pilot project that could later be rolled out to other regions of the country.
"This registration exercise is a strategic step towards strengthening our institutions and ensuring that development programmes are based on accurate and reliable information," he said.
He also commended the Rector of the Islamic University in Uganda, Prof. Ismail Ssimbwa Gyagenda, for supporting the initiative by funding the design and printing of at least 500 mosque membership registers for distribution across the region.
According to UMSC, the Mosque Membership Register will strengthen grassroots mosque administration, improve accountability and generate reliable data to guide future planning and development programmes for the Muslim community nationwide.