By East African Gazette
Kampala
Members of East Buganda Muslim Region General Assembly yesterday December 21, 2023 disassociated themselves from the ongoing purported GANGU meeting, which installed Sheikh Abdallaah Ssemambo, the former deputy Mufti, as Interim Mufti.
The disassociation was declared during a meeting held at Masjid Kabir (Masjid Noor) in Bombo Muslim County, Luwero Muslim District on Thursday December 21,2023 that was attended by the Regional Kadhi of East Buganda Muslim Region, Sheikh Mustafa Khamis Lule, District Kadhis, and Members of the General Assembly.
The Team joins other General Assembly members from West Nile, Busoga, West Buganda, Central Buganda, East and North Uganda Muslim Region, and other who early declared that they are not associated with the self-proclaimed Sheikh Abdallaah Ssemambo, the former Deputy Mufti, as Interim Mufti
The members say that the declaration of Sheikh Ssemambo as Interim Mufti is deemed illegal, null and void according to the UMSC Constitution. Members firmly assert that the appointment lacks the necessary procedural and constitutional requirements.
The disassociated with the self-proclaimed Ssemambo as Interim Mufti, comes last week as a group of about 180 Muslims that described themselves as members of the UMSC general assembly sitting at Ggangu muslim primary school off Busabala road in Wakiso district declared that they had suspended the mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje from office for six months pending investigations on him over alleged mismanagement of the Muslim affairs.
The group also announced that they had replaced Mubaje with Ssemambo who had been the first deputy mufti of Uganda. Haji Isa Gule was voted as the acting UMSC chairman.
They also instituted a six-member committee to investigate allegations against Mubaje and make a report about their findings within six months which the East Buganda member of General Assembly say that is not Muslin fairs operate
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According to Sheikh Mustafa Khamis Lule, the District Kadhis said Mubaje is still the Mufti of Uganda known by law according to Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) until his term office expires
Mubaje came into office in December 2000 and his term ends in 2025 when he clocks 70 years.
After the meeting, the members made the following declarations
1 The declaration of Sheikh Ssemambo as Interim Mufti is deemed illegal, null and void according to the UMSC Constitution. The East Buganda Muslim Region Members firmly assert that the appointment lacks the necessary procedural and constitutional requirements.
2 The also noted that East Buganda Muslim Region leadership remains solid and steadfast under the wise guidance of HE DR Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, the legal Mufti of Uganda. The members express their unwavering support for Sheikh Mubaje’s leadership and emphasize their commitment to upholding the constitutional processes within the UMSC.
3) The undersigned members confirm that they were not part of the purported special sitting held at Gangu Muslim Primary School in Wakiso. They distance themselves from any decisions or actions taken during that meeting and reaffirm their allegiance to the legitimate leadership of Sheikh Mubaje.
The East Buganda Muslim Region Members urge all stakeholders and the general public to recognize and respect the constitutional provisions of the UMSC and to support the legitimate leadership under Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje.
Court Quashed all the Proceeding and resolutions by self-claimed Ssemambo group
While giving her ruling today Friday December 22, 2023, The High Court Judge Lady Justice Alexandra Rugady, the Acting Principal Jude ordered the judgment of the Court delivered on December 12, 2023 by Jinja High Court judge Faridah Shamilah Bukirwa Ntambi in the company causing No 002 be reviewed and set orders.
Justice Rugadya also ordered the quashing of all the proceeding and resolution passed on December 16 and 17at Gangu Muslim Primary School pursuant to the orders granted by court in company of 002 of 2023.
Early the High Court at Jinja issued an interim order stopping the installation of Sheikh Abdallah Ssemambo as the acting mufti of Uganda. The restraint order was issued by Dr Winfred Nabisinde on Monday
“A restraint order is made stopping further execution and or implementation of the orders of this honourable court in company cause number 002/2023 pending the service and hearing of the miscellaneous application number 307/2023 and 306/2023 both arising from company cause number 02/2023 interparty,” Nabisinde ordered.
Nabisinde’s order is in force until December 22 when the two files shall be put before Principal Judge Dr Flavian Zeija for further management.
This followed an application by the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) for a stay of execution of the court judgment that had permitted members of the Muslim council general assembly to convene a special general assembly to look into the affairs of the Muslim council and immediately file a report with the court.
On December 12, Jinja High Court judge Faridah Shamilah Bukirwa Ntambi ordered members of the Muslim council general assembly to convene a special general assembly to look into the affairs of the Muslim council and immediately file a report with the court.
Ntambi directed that the general assembly special sitting should be presided over by a neutral and independent chairperson who shall be appointed by the said special general assembly sitting at a neutral venue.
The ruling followed a company case filed at Jinja High Court against UMSC by Yudaya Babirye, Burhan Namanya and Hussein Simbwa protesting the manner in which the affairs of the UMSC are being conducted including the continuous sale of Muslim properties in the country.
Case background
The current crisis at UMSC arises from the sale of the Sembabule Muslim land. On June 24, 2020, UMSC sold land comprising LRV 3693 folio 12 ranch number 31A measuring 518 hectares at Ssembabule to businessman Justus Kyabahwa at shillings 3.5 billion.
The sale agreement was signed on June 24, 2020, between the parties and Kyabahwa paid shillings 3.5 billion to the UMSC subject to a 12% interest per month in case the UMSC failed to hand over the land to him. After UMSC and Kyabahwa entered into the agreement, Enterprise Holdings Ltd dragged UMSC, mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, ex-UMSC chairperson Dr Abdul-Kadir Balonde and ex-UMSC secretary general Haji Ramathan Mugalu to Masaka High Court stating that it had a running lease of 15 years on it, which it had secured from Sembabule Muslim district council and that it had also entered into a sale agreement with the UMSC and paid sh280m.
On December 24, 2022, Justice Victoria Nakintu Katamba, issued an order, compelling UMSC to transfer the certificate of title to Enterprise Uganda Limited upon payment of sh620m unpaid contractual price at an interest rate of 24% per annum since 2017 to finalize the transaction. Consequently, Kyabahwa through his lawyers filed a summary suit at the commercial court seeking recovery of his money in addition to 12% interest per month as contained in the sale agreement.
On August 7, commercial court judge Grace Harriet Magala ordered UMSC to pay sh19b to Kyabahwa but in vain, prompting the registrar to order for attachment of several USMC properties including the Gaddafi national mosque. The Court of Appeal has since halted the planned attachment of the UMSC properties pending the determination of the appeal by UMSC.