Ssemambo reignites fight with Mubaje

Days after the Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Ramathan Mubaje, hosted a colourful event to mark the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council’s (UMSC) golden jubilee, a breakaway faction led by former deputy Mufti Sheikh Abdallah Ssemambo held a press conference to announce a new leadership structure at UMSC.
The developments come against a backdrop of an injunction issued by the High Court staying the implementation of the resolutions made by a section of members of the UMSC general assembly that convened a special meeting held at Ggangu primary school in Wakiso district last December.
At the press conference held at Tagy Hotel on Monday, December 16, the group insisted that the court injunction was not binding on them since they were not parties to the matter before the court.
“During the Ggangu meeting, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje and some members of the management were retired in the public interest. This was done per the court order [issued by Justice Faridah Bukirwa]. Since then, we have been searching for the new office bearers, and the process has been finalised,” said Sheikh Muhommed Irumba, who was named deputy Mufti under Ssemambo’s faction.

Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Ramathan Mubaje
The group also named Sheikhs Abdullah Masaba and Abdul-Aziiz Abdullah Hussein as second and third deputy muftis. Surprisingly, the group appointed some individuals currently serving under the Mubaje leadership. These include Sheikh Juma Shiwuyo, Sheikhat Radhiyah Namakula, and Murshid Luwemba, among others.
Hajj Twaha Gwaivu, the group’s secretary-general, stated that they intend to use all lawful means to eject Sheikh Mubaje’s group from the UMSC headquarters.
“Our leadership has the mandate of the UMSC general assembly, and we are going to use all lawful means to eject Mubaje from office,” Gwaivu said.
Gwaivu said that the group will use Tagy Hotel as their base for the time being as they develop strategies for taking over the UMSC headquarters at Old Kampala.
“We have not formed a parallel leadership structure; we are the legitimate UMSC leaders because we have the mandate of the UMSC general assembly. This is not new in Islam because even Prophet Muhammad had to first seek refuge in Madinah to avoid bloodshed before he returned to Makkah,” Gwaivu said.

FALSE LEADER
However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, December 17, the UMSC secretary-general, Hajji Abbas Muluubya, dismissed the group, labelling them as false and malicious leaders.
Muluubya expressed concern at the group’s use of UMSC’s official documents, which he said borders on serious criminal offences, including fraud and impersonation, which harm the council’s reputation and operations.
“The said Issa Gule holds no physical office, position, or authority within the UMSC. He has, however, been operating under a parallel mandate to disrupt lawful activities of the council, writing and distributing missives addressed to all government offices, embassies, and banks,” Muluubya wrote.
Muluubya affirmed that Mubaje is still the Mufti of Uganda, and he remains firmly in office with all UMSC organs functioning smoothly. SsemambojoinedUMSCin2016following his defection from the Kibuli Muslim power base and was subsequently appointed to deputise Mubaje.
He got into trouble with Mubaje in December 2023, when he accepted his appointment as the interim Mufti during the contested special sitting of the UMSC general assembly at Ggangu.