Be patient, Museveni tells Muslims
President Museveni (in a suit) inspects Masaka main mosque on Friday in the company of Masaka Muslim leaders. Photo by ALI MAMBULE
What you need to know:
Advice. President urges Muslim leaders to encourage their followers to engage in income generating activities to improve their livelihoods
Masaka.
President Museveni has urged Muslims not to rush into electing their leaders before the outstanding wrangles have been settled.
Mr Museveni gave the caution while addressing hundreds of Muslims who turned up for Idd-el-Fitri prayers at Masaka main mosque on Friday morning. President Museveni commended Kibuli Muslim group for not hurriedly electing another leader to replace the late Supreme Mufti Sheikh Zubair Kayongo who passed away about two months ago.
He was responding to the request by Masaka District Kadhi Sheikh Swaibu Ndugga to settle the Muslim wrangles by implementing the report recommendations handed to him by the task force headed by Prof Tarsis Kabwegyere, which he commissioned to investigate the conflicts among the Muslim factions.
“We are waiting for your guidance and before it, we shall not go into any election for Muslim leaders,” Sheikh Ndugga told Mr Museveni.
The President commended Masaka District Muslim leadership for initiating developmental projects, including the expansion of their main mosque. He urged them to go beyond upgrading the mosque to include improving livelihoods of their followers through better incomes.
“We constructed the road to Masaka from Kampala and Masaka to Mbarara. Villa Maria-Sembabule- Kanoni road is also under construction while Masaka-Bukakkata road is yet to be upgraded to bitumen but who of you has ever taken [advantage] of those roads?” Mr Museveni asked while stressing the need for everyone to improve their income generating activities.
The President thanked the Muslim community for sending their children to school as one major way of fostering development.
“When I went to Masaka Secondary School recently, I found a big number of students and I have again found many children of school going age here. I thank you for addressing the issue of sending your children to school,” Mr Museveni told the Idd congregation.
“I advise you to utilise the land you have by mobilising resources as relatives to fund a given project whose profits you can share,” he added.
The Muslims braved the scorching sun as they waited for the President and held the prayers at about midday instead of the normal 10am.
Mr Museveni contributed Shs20m towards the extension of the main mosque.
