Uproar over looming sale of prime Muslim property

News of the looming auction of several prime properties belonging to the Muslim community has caused an uproar amongst the faithful, with senior members blaming the already troubled leadership of Sheikh Shaban Mubajje for the unfolding crisis.

On the chopping board is the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council’s (UMSC) headquarter building in Old Kampala which also houses the iconic Gadaffi National Mosque. Land on which the building sits also has a Muslim hospital, Bilal radio, Islamic Call University and a business complex.

Several pieces of real estate are similarly up for auction. Included are Plot 30 William Street in Kampala (Masjid Noor and shops), leasehold land 2771 Folio 2, Plot 5463 in Kyadondo, land at Kyanja, and a one square mile tract of land in Bukwe, Hoima.  Also due for enforced sale is a one acre piece of land on Lubas Road in Jinja City; land in Mbale City; shares in Uganda Ranchers Ltd and Commercial Holdings Ltd, subsidiaries of the UMSC under which two square miles of land is owned in Migyera-Buluri and land in Entebbe opposite Victoria Mall.

The auction follows a warrant of attachment and sale of immovable property order issued by the Commercial Division of the High Court on November 16. The order permitted Louiza Auctioneers to attach the properties should UMSC fail to settle a Shs19 billion debt by December 21.

An application for the execution order was filed by Mr Justus Kyabahwa, a Lyantonde-based businessman to whom the billions are owed.  The debt arose after Mr Kyahabwa bought two square miles of Muslim-owned land located at Bukiragi Village in Sembabule District for Shs3 billion, only to discover that it was already leased out to another businessman, Mr Albert Muganga for 15 years.

The UMSC failed to refund Mr Kyabahwa’s money in 15 months, attracting interest of 12 percent per month and resulting in the Shs19 billion debt.

Notable Muslims who spoke to Daily Monitor yesterday said what is happening at UMSC was bound to happen. They accused Mufti Mubajje-led administration of failing to implement recommendations of Prof Tarsis Kabwegyere’s commission of inquiry into the longstanding Muslim wrangles.

One of the recommendations of the government sponsored inquiry was to dissolve the current parallel Muslim administrations, which would then pave the way for election of a single leadership under a new constitution.

Since the current UMSC constitution gives exclusive powers to the mufti to perform both spiritual and managerial roles, the commission had suggested that the mufti only concentrate on spiritual work.

It also recommended that a tribunal for dispute settlement and a property trust to manage assets be set up.

However, a few days after Prof Kabwegyere released his report in June 2014, Mufti Mubajje announced that the UMSC had a laid down procedure for election of leaders to which he will stick.

“It is unfortunate that Mufti Mubajje learnt nothing and forget nothing after the first illegal property sale, including Plot 30 William Street in Kampala which led him to the dock. Had he implemented Prof Kabwegyere’s report this shouldn’t have happened,” Sheikh Muhammad Irumba, the former Bunyoro-Toro Muslim regional khadi, said.

Another leader, Mr Abdul Nasir Mugisha, said Mufti Mubajje has long been considered unfit for the job because of what he said were his questionable dealings.

“We raised an alarm in 2006 that Mubajje was unfit to lead Muslims in Uganda, some people dismissed us thinking that we were pushing for selfish interest. It is good that everything is now in the open for everyone to see,” Mr Mugisha, a former member of UMSC’s general assembly representing Sembabule District, said

Dr Muhammad Kiggundu, spokesperson of the Kibuli-based parallel Muslim administration, similarly noted that what is unfolding today was detected 15 years ago, and it is the reason they parted ways.

“The office of the Supreme Mufti was created after seeing that Mubajje and his team were a disgrace to the community. Some characters are imposters that hide under religion to get protection for execution of dubious deals. You see them clad like clergy, but they’re wolves in sheep skin,” he said

But UMSC spokesperson, Mr Ashiraf Zziwa Muvawala, has asked Muslims to stay calm, saying the council has appealed the order for auction.

“UMSC is not that poor that we can lose our property because of that money. We are going to do our best to ensure that the Muslim properties are secured,” he said.

The appeal, according to Mr Zziwa, is expected to be heard today.

Constitution

Under the old UMSC constitution, Sheikh Mubajje, 68, was supposed to relinquish office upon clocking 70 years of age, but delegates unanimously agreed to raise the age limit to 75 years, meaning that Mubajje whose term elapses in 2025, is eligible to stand again.

Compiled by Al Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Malik F Jjingo & Shabibah Nakirigya.