Tension mounts over Muslim property loss

In the early hours of Friday morning, the police and other security forces, including the military, deployed in and around the Gaddafi Mosque, which also serves as the headquarters for the UMSC leadership. 

Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, the Mufti of Uganda, and the leadership of the UMSC are jointly accused of mortgaging several Muslim community properties. These properties are set to be auctioned following a High Court order. 

By 12pm on Friday, Muslims had started gathering at Old Kampala to attend prayers. Thorough searches were conducted on all individuals accessing the mosque premises. The heightened security measures also affected businesses around the mosque, as people were tense in anticipation of potential unrest.

The Jumah prayers commenced promptly at 1pm in the presence of Sheikh Mubajje and other top UMSC leaders. The prayers proceeded without interruption to the end.

Unrest
Immediately after the prayers, a scuffle ensued when former Nsangi Municipality Mayor Hajji Abdul Kiyimba, a top leader in the community, stood up and started shouting “Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest)” moving toward Sheikh Mubajje. Security personnel restrained him before he reached his target and whisked him away, along with another unidentified man, to Kampala Central Police Station where they remained detained by press time.

Addressing the media after the scuffle, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Onyango, said the police had beefed up security at the mosque following intelligence reports of an imminent raid by the faction opposed to Mubajje and his leadership.

“Some of them were calling for the resignation of the Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Mubajje, and when we got the information, we immediately planned and set out strategies on how to keep the city safe and peaceful,” he said, adding that the joint security team, including Uganda Police Force, Uganda People’s Defence Forces, and intelligence agencies, were deployed in strategic places to counter the alleged planned protests by a section of the Muslim community.

“Places that we could not skip include Old Kampala Mosque, William Street Mosque, Nakasero mosque, and other places. In the process, a few of them managed to protest, and they were arrested—five from William Street and two from Old Kampala Mosque,” he further revealed, adding that those arrested face charges of incitement to violence. 
Mr Onyango confirmed that the seven are detained at the Central Police Station in Kampala, and their statements are being recorded and profiled as the Force awaits further instructions.

“We call upon the Muslim community to keep calm; those who are aggrieved should use appropriate avenues like courts of law to address their issues,” he said.

Backstory
The recent disputes originated from a High Court ruling indicating that UMSC faced the imminent loss of its prime properties due to an outstanding debt exceeding Shs19 billion. On November 16, the Commercial Division of the High Court issued a warrant of attachment and sale of immovable properties.

This order directed the bailiffs of Louiza Auctioneers to seize eight prime properties, including a plot on William Street in the heart of Kampala City, if UMSC failed to settle the debt by December 21. The identified properties encompass land listed in leasehold register Volume KKCA 149 Folio 16 at Kampala City William Street 30, leasehold register Volume 2771 Folio 2 in Old Kampala Plot 23-25, Kyadondo Block 195 Plot 5463, land in Kyanja, a one Square Mile tract of land in Bukwe, Hoima, one acre of land in Lumbas, Jinja, a plot of land in Mbale, shares in Uganda Ranchers Ltd and Commercial Holdings Ltd (subsidiaries of UMSC), and a plot in Entebbe opposite Victoria Mall.

The news of the impending auction of various prime properties owned by the Muslim community has triggered unrest among the faithful, with senior members pointing fingers at the troubled leadership of Sheikh Mubajje for the unfolding crisis. 

The assets on the auction block include UMSC’s headquarters building in Old Kampala. The building houses the iconic Gaddafi National Mosque. The land on which the building stands also accommodates a Muslim hospital, Bilal Radio, Islamic Call University, and a business complex. 

The execution order was pursued by Mr Justus Kyabahwa, a Lyantonde-based businessman to whom the debt is owed. The debt originated from Mr Kyahabwa’s purchase of two square miles of Muslim-owned land in Bukiragi Village, Sembabule District, for Shs3 billion. However, he later discovered that the land was already leased to another businessman, Mr Albert Muganga, for 15 years. UMSC failed to reimburse Mr Kyabahwa within 15 months, accruing interest at a rate of 12 percent per month and resulting in the Shs19 billion debt.

UMSC spokesperson Ashiraf Zziwa said Mufti Mubajje is expected to issue an official statement about the ongoing issues regarding the Muslim properties.

A sheer mess

In an interview with Sunday Monitor, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago said all the Muslim properties are in a mess.
“I have conducted an inventory about Muslim property and it’s quite alarming. We have been doing this over the years and almost all the assets are involved in controversies, including the land where mosques are seated,” he said.

“Save for a few like the Kibuli and Mbogo mosques that have no issues, the rest are largely mismanaged by the leadership at the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council,” he added.

He also revealed that a fresh title for Muslim land in Nateete was fraudulently issued despite his holding one on behalf of the community.

“We pursued the process together with the leadership of the Muslim community of Nateete region and secured registration of a land title [three acres] and I was entrusted with that title which up to now I kept in my custody. It’s a free-hold title but these people colluded with some individuals in the land office and behind the scenes issued another title and purported the title I have in my custody is fake,” he said.

“The new title is in the name of UMSC and they have put that land on sale yet for us we wanted to come up with a huge mosque and a commercial building,” he added. 

Mr Lukwago urged the Supreme Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Mohammad Galabuzi, who leads the rival Muslim faction based at Kibuli, to add pressure so that a solution can be found before the Muslim community loses more property.

“We need to involve all the stakeholders starting with a petition to Parliament through the Muslim caucus to read it before the Speaker and ask Parliament to have the matter debated,” he said.