Galabuzi seeks support for Shs4.5b Muslim Plaza

By Sarah Nalule

The Supreme Mufti, Sheikh Muhammad Shaban Galabuzi, has called on Muslim leaders and well-wishers to support the construction of a Shs4.5 billion commercial plaza in Kyanja, Kampala, saying the investment will help finance religious and community programmes.

He said the Office of the Supreme Mufti faced growing demands for assistance in education, healthcare and social welfare but lacked the resources to respond adequately.

The proposed plaza is intended to generate a steady income for Muslim institutions and reduce their dependence on donations.

The Muslim Parliamentary Caucus has so far donated 1,000 bags of cement towards the project, fulfilling a pledge made at a fundraising event at Hotel Africana on October 2, 2026.

Speaking during the handover, Sheikh Galabuzi said his visits to Muslim communities across the country had exposed serious challenges, including dilapidated schools, children dropping out because their parents cannot afford fees and families left struggling after the death of breadwinners.

“Sometimes we receive requests for assistance, but our resources are limited. We want to establish an investment that can generate income and enable us to respond to these challenges,” he said.

He added that his office also provides interest-free financial assistance to people seeking to start small businesses. Beneficiaries are expected to repay the money within a year so that others can benefit from the revolving fund.

Sheikh Galabuzi urged Muslims who made pledges at the October fundraising event to honour their commitments and called on more legislators to support the initiative.

He said only 15 of the approximately 63 Muslim MPs had so far contributed to the project.

The chairman of the Muslim Parliamentary Caucus, Hassan Kirumira Lukalidde, who represents Katikamu South in Luweero District, said the donation of cement fulfilled the caucus’s commitment to the development.

“We have fulfilled our pledge of bringing the 1,000 bags of cement,” he said, urging other Muslims to contribute.

Lukalidde said construction was still at an early stage and required more financial and material support. He pledged that the caucus would remain involved until the project was completed.

The caucus secretary general, Abubaker Kawalya, said the investment was important in securing the financial future of Muslim institutions.

He cited the loss of Muslim community properties over the years, including assets sold off illegally by leaders, as a reason for establishing income-generating ventures.

Kawalya urged Muslims to contribute according to their means, saying small donations could collectively make a difference.

“Even if you have Shs10,000, if it is added to this project, I am sure God will reward you,” he said.

Project chairperson Hajji Rashid Ssenyonga said the development was being financed through local contributions, with no foreign funding received so far.

He said 62 people had contributed, with donations ranging from Shs20,000 to Shs300 million.

Ssenyonga said the project initially had a 15-member board overseeing construction, but the organising committee had since grown to 30 members to strengthen mobilisation and coordination.

The committee meets twice a month at Hotel Africana to review progress and mobilise more support.

He put the projected construction cost at about Shs5 billion and appealed to more Ugandans and well-wishers to contribute.

The Kyanja development is being established as a waqf investment, an Islamic charitable endowment in which property or other assets are preserved to generate income for designated religious and community causes.

Once completed, the plaza is expected to provide a long-term source of funding for Islamic education, healthcare and social welfare programmes.