East African Gazette
By Abbey R
Kampala
The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) on Friday December 22, 2023 suspended Sheikh Abdallah Ssemambo who had been the deputy Mufti of Uganda.
The suspension 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 but the East Buganda member of General Assembly say that is not Muslin fairs operate
The swearing in of self-claimed interim Mufti Ssemambo, by a group Ggangu muslim has created chaos with in the Muslim community.
Recently Members of East Buganda Muslim Region General Assembly led by the Regional Kadhi Sheikh Mustafa Khamis Lule, announced that they are disassociating themselves from the ongoing purported GANGU meeting, which installed Sheikh Abdallaah Ssemambo, now the former deputy 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 Team joins other General Assembly members from West Nile, Busoga, West Buganda, Central Buganda, East and North Uganda Muslim Region, and others who early declared that they are not associated with the self-proclaimed Sheikh Abdallaah Ssemambo.
Ssemambo was suspended by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Lubega, the UMSC national chairperson, following a petition endorsed by 15 members of the national executive committee. Kisambira in his letter addressed to Ssemambo, Ssemambo is barred from his office and required to surrender all official UMSC items in his possession.
“Be notified that the chairperson of the UMSC has received a petition of impeachment against you under Article 11(1) of the UMSC this 22nd day of December 2023,” said Lubega in the letter. “The petitioners fault you for conducting yourself in a manner unbefitting of your office and abrogating the constitution of UMSC contrary to Article 5(14) of the said constitution.”
Ssemambo was further informed, “that you are required to file and serve on the chairperson in triplicate a written reply within seven working days from the date of receipt of the petition”. Lubega noted that his suspension, effective immediately, requires him, among others, to receive half of his salary until the impeachment process concludes.
During his suspension, Ssemambo was barred from his office and required to surrender all official UMSC items in his possession. “Be notified that the chairperson of the UMSC has received a petition of impeachment against you under Article 11(1) of the UMSC this 22nd day of December 2023,” said Lubega in the letter. “The petitioners fault you for conducting yourself in a manner unbefitting of your office and abrogating the constitution of UMSC contrary to Article 5(14) of the said constitution.” Ssemambo was further informed, “that you are required to file and serve on the chairperson in triplicate a written reply within seven working days from the date of receipt of the petition”.
Lubega informed Ssemambo that a UMSC joint session comprising the national executive committee and College of Imminent Sheikhs will meet after seven days to hear the accusations against him
Three Cases against Ssemambo
Mahmood Kateregga, who is among the 15 petitioners, listed three grounds for Ssemambo impeachment. He is accuses of participating in irregular proceedings that saw him sworn in as acting Mufti of Uganda, disregarding the UMSC constitution, and his involvement in the purported suspension of the substantial Mufti of Uganda and UMSC chairperson.
Judiciary warned media of misleading the public
Judiciary reacts On Friday, the Judiciary said court had not authorized Ssemambo to act as the Mufti of Uganda, urging “all concerned persons to remain calm and act responsibly
“The attention of the Judiciary has been drawn to misleading reports by sections of media alleging that the High Court on Thursday December 21 agreed with the decision of the Resident Judge Jinja in Company Cause No. 002 of 2023 that resulted in the appointment of Sheikh Abdullah Ssemambo as the Acting Mufti of Uganda Supreme Council,” it said in a statement.
“This is to clarify that Hon. Lady Justice Alexandra Nkonge Rugadya halted the execution and implementation of the resolutions of the General Assembly made on December 16 and December 17 that resulted in the appointment of Sheikh Ssemambo as Acting Mufti pending the determination of the application by the same judge who made the orders under the law for Review of Court Orders.”
The statement further noted; “Relatedly, Miscellaneous Applications No. 309 of 2023, No.306 of 2023 and No.307 of 2023 have been referred back to Jinja High Court for hearing and determination. The Judiciary, therefore, appeals to the parties and all concerned persons to remain calm and act responsibly, as we wait for the decision of the Court in Jinja.”
Hajji Abbas Sekyanzi Muluubya, the UMSC general secretary, dismissed the election, arguing that Article 5 of the council’s constitution states that the removal of the Mufti from office can only occur through a joint session of the executive committee and the Majlis Al-Ulama or the College of Sheikhs
Muluubya noted that UMSC is operating normally and officially recognizes only one Mufti: Mubajje
Kigongo and Kabanda accused of supporting the self-claimed interim Mufti Ssemambo
While addressing Muslim on Friday in his Country home, Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Mubajje accused the Minsa Kabanda, the Minister for Kamapala and Metropolitan and Moses Kigongo, the National vice chairperson of National Resistance Movement (NRM) for fueling fitnah among the Muslim Community.
They are supporting something that are against the UMSC constitution
The accusation by the group that have sold Muslim property, is not the trigger of the mater but because have over stayed in power as Mufti but that was the constitution said Mubajje
He noted that he started as an imam for five years, then district khids for ten (10) years and when he was elected as Mufti, his aims were to make sure that Muslim are united and for this have tried
“When I was elected, many said I will manage, they started giving me two month, other six month and then, they change for two years but have managed it’s now 23 years, even me I don’t believe myself that have taken, those years” Mubajje narrated his home people
He noted I have managed bring all those people who were against me, so that we can work tighter including my deputy Abduallah Ssemambo who is now misleading the Muslims
What Happened in 2000 elections that ushered in Mubajje
According to New Vision published December 13 ,2000, reports that after elections that ushered in Mubajje as Mufti of Uganda at African, 10 Muslim Kibuli Sheiks including Sheikh Rajabu Kakooza, Obedi Kamulegeya, Zubaire Kayongo now the late, Sulaiman Kakeeto who was the head of the Tablique, and Muhammad Kyazze, Yahaya Katungulu, Abdullah Ssemambo now for deputy Mufti, Abdunoor Kakande, Mansoor Kasoozi and Ali Kulumba come out with joint statement denouncing Mubajje’s election.
After the statement, Kakeeto who was the head of the Tablique Kakeeto disassociated himself from the statement saying “The Amir of Uganda was not part of the meeting which denounced Mubajje as elected Mufti
Dr Sheikh Muhammad Kisule who was by then, the Uganda’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Muhammad Kisambira and others members of General Assembly among the Kibuli group condemned those who issued the purported statement reasld on FM radio stations news bulletin on Monday night
But now those who denounced Mubajje during 2000 are confidently working him ,which UMSC OFFICIAL say Mubajje have tried to unit Muslims
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 Sembabule to businessman Justus Kayabwa 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.