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Muslims pile pressure on Mufti Mubajje to relinquish office within two months

Combo: Sheikh Abdullah Ssemambo (R) and Sheikh Shaban Mubajje (R). PHOTOS/FILE

What you need to know:

  • UMSC last organised elections for members of its General Assembly in 2022 and the last vote for a Mufti in 2000.

The Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, has just over 50 days to relinquish office, his critics said on Tuesday, citing the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) constitution.

Sheikh Mubajje, 70, ascended to the coveted position on December 11, 2000 through an election at Hotel Africana in Kampala.

Muslim leaders opposed to his leadership say he doesn’t qualify to seek another term in office on moral grounds.

But there is a likelihood that Mubajje will bounce back basing on the new UMSC constitution which a section of Muslims are currently challenging in court, raising uncertainty over a transition.

Under the new constitution ratified by the UMSC General Assembly on July 13, 2022, the mufti should be at least 55 years old and can serve one term of 10 years until he clocks 75.

This implies that Mubajje who is clocking 70 years in March 12 ,2025 will be  eligible to contest in the forthcoming Muslim elections ,whose date is yet to be  announced.

The old constitution, which is recognised by the wider Ugandan Muslim community had caped the age limit at 70 years for a mufti.

“The UMSC constitution says for one to be a mufti must have a clean track record and be free from offences under the national and Islamic law. It is common knowledge that Mubajje lost credibility many years ago and is illegally holding that position,’’ Sheikh Muhammad Irumba, a strong critic of Sheikh Mubajje told Monitor on Tuesday.

‘’Let him[Sheikh Mubajje] use this chance after clocking  the constitutional age limit to say bye to the Muslims of Uganda,” he added.   

Sheikh Irumba was recently appointed first deputy mufti under Sheikh Abdullah Ssemambo’s parallel UMSC administration waiting to replace Sheikh Mubajje’s leadership.

The Sheikh Irumba group currently has its secretariat at one of the hotels in Old Kampala.

Abdul Nasir  Mugisha, one of the Muslims opposed to the current UMSC leadership, said “since Mufti Mubajje has served for more than two decades, instead of engaging in more court battles and other fights to cling onto UMSC leadership, he should leave office for the unity of Muslims.”

“It would be in the best interest that he steps aside for the good of the community,” he added.

When contacted about the matter, UMSC spokesperson Ashiraf Zziwa said the UMSC organ responsible for electing the mufti is handling the matter.

“Muslims should not worry about the capacity of their leaders to handle the transition. But good enough, His eminence [Mubajje] still qualifies, but he is yet to make his intention to seek another term ,’’he said.

According to him, other Muslims with the required qualifications are free to express their interest to replace Mubajje.

UMSC last organised elections for members of the General Assembly in 2022 and the last vote for a Mufti in 2000.

Initially, the mufti was elected by the general assembly as the supreme organ of UMSC, but this was changed in the new constitution and the powers vested in a small committee of Majris Ulama (college of eminent sheikhs).

Internal conflicts

Mufti Mubajje , who was born on March 12,1955, has since 2006 been  under intense pressure from the Muslim community to resign over gross mismanagement of UMSC and irregular sale of Muslim property in Kampala and several major towns across the country, which he denies.

He has on several occasions said that he wanted to serve as Mufti for a short time after ushering in a new constitution, but continuous court and internal Muslim leadership wrangles have forced him to stay longer in office.

When the first group failed to oust him, it ended up establishing a parallel administration at Kibuli Hill. The faction is currently led by Supreme Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Galabuzi.

Another   splinter group led by Sheikh Ssemambo has also followed suit, electing its leaders across the country. This implies that the Ugandan Muslim community   currently has three parallel muftis which further threatens the unity of over 6 million Muslims comprising Uganda’s 45.9 million population .