Juma-Zukuli leadership dispute escalates, police called in

By Abdul-Wahid Kakande

The headquarters of the Juma-Zukuli Muslim group at Kyandondo in Kawempe is threatening to turn into a battlefield as rival factions claim to be the legitimate leaders of the historic group. The wrangling came to a boiling high in September 2024 when Justice Musa Ssekaana appointed a mediator to oversee the election of new leaders, following a court case filed by Sheikh Muhammad Kasamba Tiwayilika and others.

The old leadership, led by Sheikh Abdul-Noor Lunanoba, has since refused to hand over to the new leadership, accusing Justice Ssekaana of not only bias but also conniving with Sheikh Hussein Rajaba Kakooza and Musa Ssebumba to throw them out.

On Tuesday, February 18, Sheikh Lunanoba, who also chairs the college of eminent Sheikhs at the Kibuli-based Office of the Supreme Mufti, was arrested and briefly detained at Kawempe police station over assault charges.

Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango stated that Sheikh Lunanoba and others were arrested at Kawempe Mosque after a dispute between two rival Muslim factions of Juma-Zukuli escalated into a physical altercation. Videos of Sheikh Lunanoba’s arrest circulated online, with his associates claiming it was due to his non-compliance with a court order.

However, police clarified that his arrest was unrelated to any court order violations. Preliminary police investigations indicate that the fight erupted when one group attempted to take control of some mosque properties, sparking a violent confrontation that left several people injured.

“They have a long-standing dispute over the leadership of the mosque in Kawempe, which is still being handled in civil court. Recently, one group took possession of the mosque, but another attempted to reclaim control, leading to resistance, fighting, and injuries,” Onyango said.

Several members of the old leadership were recently jailed for contempt of court. This followed orders issued by Simon Kintu Ziruntusa, the deputy registrar of the Civil Division of the High Court.

Hassan Ssenyondo, the group’s secretary general under the new leadership, has since written to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abbas Byakagaba to help them take control of the group’s headquarters and properties.

In a February 10 letter to Byakagaba, Ssenyondo sought security for their upcoming annual general meeting at a _Mauled_ event to usher in the holy month of Ramadhan.

Behind the power struggles, some observers have argued, is the fact that most of the newly elected members subscribe to the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), while the old leadership pays allegiance to the Office of the Supreme Mufti at Kibuli.

Background

On August 7, 2024, Justice Ssekaana appointed retired High Court registrar Erias Kisawuzi to convene an extra general assembly of the original 36 families that founded the Juma-Zukuli Muslim group.

Ssekaana’s order followed a case filed by Sheikh Muhammad Kasamba Tiwayilika, Ismail Kikabi, Adam Kibalama, and Hajji Erias Takuba against Lunanoba and his group, accusing them of mismanaging the affairs of the organisation as well as failing to convene general meetings since 2001, when they were elected into office.

The petitioners argued that the old leadership’s term of office expired on November 12, 2022, although Lunanoba and the group insisted that the new amendments to the group’s constitution extended their term to 2024.

Given the sensitivity of the matter, Kisawuzi stepped down, and Ssekaana appointed court registrars Faisal Mulalira, Zulaika Nanteza, Mastula Mulondo, and Magistrate Latif Abubaker Nakibinge to preside over the extraordinary general meeting and oversee the election of the new leadership.

Members of the old leadership contested the list of the families that were documented and allowed to take part in the meeting, saying many of them, such as Sheikh Muhammad Yunus Kamoga, do not subscribe to the sect and could not deliberate on their behalf.

While Kamoga’s father was a member of the organisation, they argue that it was erroneous to bring him on board because he does not subscribe to the sect.

Others the old leadership rejects include Sheikh Sufian Muguluma, the principal of Bilal Islamic Institute, arguing that he is also not a member of the Juma Zukuli. Muguluma was elected the deputy president-general under the new leadership.