Wakiso councillor declines to swear-in with Koran
Wakiso District councillor Abdu Gamal from Musukuma Division takes his oath at the district headquarters on Monday. Photo by Joseph Kiggundu
Wakiso.
The newly elected Wakiso District councillor from Musukuma Division, Mr Abdu Gamal, on Monday caused drama after he refused to be sworn in, saying the Koran used does not belong to his religious sect.
The district clerk to council, Ms Annet Ssessanga, while administering the oath of allegiance, offered Mr Gamal a Koran, but when he took to the podium, he declined to touch it, saying it does not belong to his religious sect of the Sunni.
This was during the swearing in ceremony of 50 councillors and the LC5 chairperson, Mr Matiya Lwanga Bwanika.
He instead walked back in protest saying: “The Koran that was offered to me to take my oath to serve a second term belongs to the Ahmadiyya Muslims sect and I am not one of them. I belong to Sunni sect so I don’t want those people at the podium to play with my belief.”
Not even the intervention of the district Woman MP, Ms Rosemary Sseninde, would save the situation.
Ms Sseninde pleaded with Mr Gamal to take the oath, arguing that his conduct had an impact on the NRM party representation at the district but in vain.
Following several interventions, Mr Gamal eventually took the oath while holding a file as his friend held up the Koran.
Other councillors criticised Mr Gamal’s reaction, saying his stunt was uncalled for.
“This was just a swearing- in ceremony where a Muslim holds a Koran and a Christian holds a Bible to take their oath, so next time my brother should never react in that form. It is uncalled for,” Mr Hood Golooba, a councillor, said.
The Sureme Mufti, Sheikh Silman Kasule Ndilangwa, urged the new council to work towards uniting the people in the district.
“I pray that God helps you serve the people of Wakiso to their expectations, put God first before everything,” he said.
