Why Muslims shunned  UMSC grass root elections

The election of new Muslim leaders kicked off last Friday with a low voter turnout at various Juma mosques across the country.

At some mosques under Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), which organised the exercise, elections did not take place due to anomalies in the voters’ register.

At mosques run by other Muslim factions like Kibuli administration, Bukoto/Nateete Muslim Community, Jumah and Zuhr Community, elections did not take place after their top leaders boycotted the exercise describing it as a sham.

At mosque level, Muslims elected women councillors, youth representatives, Juma mosques chairpersons and deputies, secretaries and treasurers.

Other posts included secretary for zaka, education, women affairs, children and youth affairs.

In a statement last Friday, Mr Juma Kayita Mitti, the UMSC electoral commission regional commissioner for Kampala, said he had suspended elections at Biina Masjid, Biina B LC1, Butabika Parish, Nakawa Division, citing unresolved administrative issues in the area.

“Elections at Biina Masjid are suspended until the process is properly audited and streamlined to enable the Muslims have a proper elections at an appropriate time,” the statement reads in part.

Elections for Muslim leaders at the county level were conducted yesterday while new office bearers at the district, regional level, who will form the new UMSC general assembly, will be elected between December 9 and 12. The general assembly is the top decision-making organ of UMSC.

In Masindi District, chaos ensued at the main mosque after the main gate was closed.

The leadership headed by chairman of Masindi Town mosque Sheikh Yahaya Abdul Noor Sozi, closed the entrance, protesting the elections.

A team led by the district khadi Sheikh Safiyana Mugisa was later joined by other Muslims who held Juma prayers from outside. They also elected a new mosque leadership.

Sheikh Mugisa accused the outgoing leadership under Sheikh Sozi of grabbing Muslims properties and promised to return them to the community.

Sheikh Kassim Sekandi, who is in-charge of Bujenje County in Masindi, called for justice so that the mosque gets elected leaders, not those who are handpicked.

However, Sheikh Sozi said their mosque is independent and does not subscribe to UMSC.

At Mukono Masjid Atik, the district main mosque, only three positions were filled, including a male councillor, women councillor and youth representative.

Of the 67 registered voters, only 23 participated while the rest shunned the exercise, citing anomalies in the new UMSC constitution.

Police deployed heavily to maintain order after a faction of Muslims opposed the elections.

Mr Musa Kulumba, the officer-in-charge of security at Masjid Atik, said they deployed after realising that some voters wanted to sabotage the electoral process.

“We are grateful to the Mukono Division police commander for deploying security personnel and ensuring that the whole process is successful,” he said.

Mr Wasswa Muhammad Takwana, a faithful at the mosque, said the process wasn’t transparent and voters were not sensitised.

“Muslims were not sensitised and many got to know about the elections at the time of casting the vote, which prompted them to shun the exercise,” Mr Takwana said.

“UMSC only comes to us during elections and other activities of their interest, let them build confidence among Muslims, especially now that we need everyone one board,” he added.

Mr Yusuf Kalibbala, who presided over elections at Kiyunga Masjid in Mukono Municipality, said the UMSC electoral commission dispatched the voting materials late.

The Mukono Khadi, Sheikh Shazir Lumala, said special arrangements would be made for the faithful to vote at mosques where elections did not take place.

The district has 273 mosques, but only 160 were registered to participate in the exercise after fulfilling the UMSC requirements. In Masaka City, which has close to 200 Juma mosques, only 10 participated. At Masjid Jamia-Magoba on Elgin Street, three people were elected to join the committee that will represent the mosque at the county.

Sheikh Hussein Ssegujja, the Imam at the mosque, said despite missing out on Shs300,000 that was supposed to help in organising elections, they successfully mobilised Muslims to take part in the exercise .

In Mityana District, Muslims elected Sheikh Hassan Halid Maulana as the mosque chairperson.

Other posts were, however, not announced. The district khadi, Sheikh Ali Kasaliko, who subscribes to the Kibuli faction, was absent, and it remained unclear why the election exercise was conducted from a primary school compound.Sheikh Halid promised to unite the faithful.

In Kassanda and Mubende districts, the Muslims did not elect new leaders due to the Ebola-induced lockdown.

However, Sheikh Abdul Nassir Hussein Muwonge, the khadi for Kassanda, said they would still not vote even without the lockdown, claiming the exercise was a sham. “It doesn’t make sense to hold elections when Muslims are still divided. We need to first dissolve all the existing factional leaderships and agree on one unifying top leader,” he said.

In a November 17 statement, Sheikh Muhammad Lunanoba, the chairperson of Joint Council of Muslim Organisation, a grouping of Muslim factions opposed to the Mufti Mubajje administration, said they boycotted the elections due to internal differences.

According to the head of the Muslim electoral commission in Kigezi-Ankole region, Mr Mwesigye Murshid Kaduyu, the elections in the area went on smoothly.

“We expected some contestation at the main mosque of Nyamitanga, fortunately, the elections went successfully and winners were announced. In Mbarara City, 468 new Muslim leaders were elected from 52 mosques and out of these, 156 will participate in the district elections,” he said.

In Bushenyi Muslim electoral area that consists of Mitooma, Rubirizi, Sheema, Bushenyi, and Buhweju districts, voting went on well.

However, there were five mosques were voting was postponed to undisclosed date. The affected mosques are Nyarutuntu, Kyabugimbi, Butaare, Rwentuha in Bushenyi District and Kaacu mosque in Rubirizi District.

“We got intelligence information that Muslims in those mosques were planning to cause chaos, so we had to act accordingly by writing letters cancelling the exercise,” Mr Baryamujura Quraish, the returning officer of Bushenyi UMSC electoral area, said.

According to Mr Ashiraf Zziwa, the UMSC spokesperson, the elections were successful with minor incidents in some districts such as Bushenyi, Kiruhura, Kisoro and Kampala.

“Some resistance was expected in some areas, but the situation was contained with the help of police but the exercise was successful,” he said.

He admitted that the electoral materials reached late, especially in Kween District, northern and Karamoja regions.

“Our EC is going to give an update on the exercise as they prepare the next elections at the county level which commence on Tuesday [yesterday],” he added.

Early this year, some outgoing members of UMSC general assembly claimed the process leading to the elections was flawed, and wanted it cancelled.

Sheikh Muhammad Irumba, a member, claimed the new constitution was illegally amended, which makes the process a nullity.

According to UMSC projections, at least 10 million Muslims at 10,000 mosques in 78 Muslim districts were expected to participate in the Friday elections.

Mr Bashir Kayondo, the coordinator for Bunyoro, Tooro Muslims, said voting materials in Fort Portal City arrived after they had finished conducting the exercise through raising hands.

He said more than 95 percent of mosques in the two regions participated in the exercise.

“We now have voting materials and other logistics for the forthcoming elections in Muslim counties like Bunyangabu and other areas in Tooro and Bunyoro regions,” Mr Kayondo said.

He urged the faithful to show up in large numbers and vote.

Some of the mosques in Fort Portal City like Kitumba, Kabarole main, Masjid Kisenyi, Kabudaire maintained their current leadership.

The Kabale Khadi, Sheikh Kabu Lule, said Muslims in the district fully participated.Kabale Muslim District, which takes charge of Kabale, Kanungu and Rukiga districts, has 30 mosques. Committees were successfully formed to manage the affairs of their faith.

“We elected one male, one female and one youth councillor at every mosque. The committees composed of the chairman, vice chairman, secretary, treasurer and five committee members will be formed at every district to ensure the smooth running of the Islamic faith,” Mr Lule said.

Kanungu Muslim district Khadi Sheikh Rajab Mpabuka promised to work with all the newly elected leaders.

elections in teso and budaka

In Teso Sub-region, the elections went on smoothly. At Amuria main mosque in Amuria District, elections never took place. Sheikh Asuman Mohammed Ocen, the district Khadi for Teso, told Daily Monitor that those who had expressed interest refused to pay nomination fees yet it was one of the prerequisites. “All other mosques across Teso elected their mosque representatives who are meant to be eight in number,” Mr Ocen said.

Budaka District Khadi Sheikh Muzamir Kidandaile said some Muslims in Kaderuna wanted to cause chaos, but the situation was contained before elections kicked off.“We explained to the [voters] the number of positions to be filled and at what level because this had caused a lot of confusion. They understood and elections were peaceful,” Sheikh Kidandaile said. Budaka has 173 Juma mosques.

Background: UMSC last organised grassroots elections in 2012 and for the Mufti in 2000.These elections had earlier been scheduled to take place between March and May this year, but UMSC failed to raise some Shs6.9b for the exercise.In May, Parliament approved Shs2.5b to facilitate UMSC electoral activities. Focus will now shift to the election of a new mufti when the tenure of incumbent Sheikh Shaban Mubajje expires in 2025.

Compiled by Al- Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Robert Muhereza, Fred Wambede,Diphas Kiguli ,Jessica Nabukenya, Felix Ainebyoona, Sheillar Mutetsi, Milton Bandiho, Simon Peter Emwamu, Malik Fahd Jjingo,Fred Muzaale, Naume Biira, Alex Ashaba & Ismail Bategeka