Entebbe mosque reopens after two weeks closure
By Ahmed Idriss
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abas Byakagaba has intervened in the wrangles over the management of Masjid Taqwa, Entebbe, after two warring groups led to its closure about two weeks ago amidst growing tensions between two rival camps.
Byakagaba on Tuesday, October 22, drove to the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) headquarters at Old Kampala where he had a closed door meeting with the Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje who was in the company of other UMSC leaders.
The meeting centred on the long-standing dispute sparked by accusations against the mosque leaders, notably, Haj Twaha Ssempebwa and the Imam, Sheikh Umar Bashir who allegedly processed a private land title under the Masjid Taqwa Company Ltd, claiming sole ownership.
Masjid Taqwa Company Ltd was incorporated in 2012, changing the mosque’s name from UMSC Entebbe mosque. This move did not go well with a cross-section of elders who had overseen the mosque since 1972 when its Asian founders placed it under the management of UMSC.
UMSC later acquired the adjacent land on plots 45-53 and 21 along Portal Road, for development projects, including an educational centre, which Sheikh Bashir’s group registered among the properties of Masjid Taqwa Company Ltd.
UMSC acquired adjacent land for development projects, including an educational center, but Sheikh Bashir’s group registered these properties under Masjid Taqwa Company Ltd. The conflict escalated when the group allegedly hired individuals to intimidate worshippers after UMSC considered suspending Sheikh Umar Bashir for defiance and false ownership claims.
Given the mosque’s proximity to critical infrastructure, UMSC requested its temporary closure for security reasons.
“We are pleased to announce that the mosque will reopen for daily worship. We emphasize the need for peace and stability. The UMSC will work tirelessly to ensure that the mosque remains a place of worship and unity for all Muslims, ” said Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje.
During the meeting, UMSC national chairperson Dr Muhammadi Lubega Kisambira alerted the IGP to a similar potential conflict in Jinja City pitting UMSC against Jinja regional referral hospital over the Muslim cemetery.
“We urge the government to intervene and protect the rights of Muslims in Jinja. The land in question has been used as a cemetery since 1927, and we will not allow it to be taken away from us,” Dr Lubega said.