Concerns as Sheikh Kakande walks to freedom without his beard

By Jafar Mugera

As the Muslim community welcomed Sheikh Twaha Kakande, the Imam of Masjid Taquwa in Mengo – Kisenyi, Kampala, a noticeable loss of his beard sparked concern.

Kakande had been in detention since October 18 when he was picked by plain-clothed armed men and whisked away in a minivan, commonly known as a “drone” as he prepared to go for the Friday prayers.

The reasons behind his arrest and 26-day detention remain a mystery as none of those close to him nor the security agencies have provided any details.

Sheikh Salim Bbosa, deputy director of Shari’a at Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), led a group of Muslims to meet with security chiefs on Monday, November 11, to negotiate Sheikh Kakande’s release.

Bbosa kept details of the meeting, including attendees and location, under wraps. He however, shared that the 12-hour meeting was productive,

allowing them to see Kakande, who appeared to be in good health and showed no signs of torture.

“We spent about 12 hours in the meeting, got a chance to see our brother, he was in good health, and hadn’t been tortured,” Sheikh Bbosa revealed.

This came days after a vlogger posted a video on TikTok – a short-form video hosting and sharing social media platform, claiming to have received credible information that Kakande had succumbed to torture wounds. The vlogger went on to tell Sheikh Kakande’s family to remain “strong and pray for the Sheikh’s soul.”

Kakande was released on Tuesday, November 12, and according to the family, was hospitalised because he was feeling unwell.

But as questions as to the reasons behind the cleric’s arrest continued to surface but without answers, Sheikh Bbosa made a call on Muslim leaders to petition the prisons authorities to respect the Muslims’ right to grow beards.

“Growing a beard is an act of worship; it is Sunnah, and therefore falls within a Muslim’s right of worship. The prison authorities should be made aware of it so that it is respected,” Bbosa said.

Recently, Hajji Ali Mwizera who was jailed over a domestic dispute with his wife, appeared at the High Court in Kampala without his trademark beard.

“It is high time leaders of the different Muslim factions took bold steps to first of all write to the prisons authorities to express our displeasure… tell them to respect the Muslims’ right to have beards,”Bbosa said.

A former inmate at Kigo prisons shared his experience when asked if shaving beards is mandatory for inmates. “I spent five years in Kigo prison and kept my beard without issue, it appears they shave off Sheikhs’ beards as a tactic to intimidate or punish them.”

Prisons spokesman, Frank Baine Mayanja, did not respond to our calls and text messages.