Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje has defended the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council’s (UMSC) decision to sell some of its properties, saying the transactions transformed the institution from a financially struggling organisation into a self-sustaining one.
Speaking at the UMSC headquarters in Old Kampala, Mubaje said he has no regrets over the decisions taken by the council’s Executive Committee because the proceeds were invested in projects that continue to generate income for the Muslim community.
“When I assumed office in December 2000, this place was a bush. The council had no bank accounts and staff had gone four years without salaries,” Mubaje said.
He explained that the Executive Committee resolved to dispose of underutilised assets, including a ranch in Sembabule, after concluding that the property was generating no income for the council.
According to Mubaje, the ranch was sold for Shs5 billion, with the money used to acquire income-generating properties, including apartment blocks in Kansanga and Namasuba, while part of the funds financed the development of the UMSC headquarters at Old Kampala.
The Mufti also defended the redevelopment of the council’s William Street property, saying the Executive Committee had approved a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement under which the lease was renewed and the property developed before ownership would eventually revert to UMSC.
He acknowledged that the transactions attracted criticism and court battles but maintained that every decision was taken through the council’s governing structures.
Mubaje said he later met President Yoweri Museveni and the Attorney General to explain the transactions, after which government was satisfied with the accountability surrounding the property deals.
He dismissed allegations that UMSC property had been mismanaged, saying critics had ignored the transformation achieved over the past two decades.
“Some people accuse me of selling Muslim property, but they should also look at what those investments have produced,” he said.
Mubaje said the investments have enabled UMSC to establish the Gaddafi National Mosque complex, commercial buildings, a hospital, a university, a television station, a radio station and vocational training facilities, all of which now support the council’s operations.
He added that the council has become financially stable and is now able to meet its monthly operational expenses through income generated from its investments.
The Mufti said the transformation demonstrates that the decisions taken on the council’s properties were aimed at securing the long-term sustainability of the institution rather than disposing of Muslim assets.
