Muslims to pray for rain nationwide as drought deepens

By Hajji Ntale Younus and Ahmed Idriss

Uganda’s Muslim community will turn to prayer twice this week as two national Muslim leadership structures call on believers to seek Allah’s mercy and rain amid prolonged dry conditions affecting parts of the country.

The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has called for Salatul-Istisqa in mosques across the country on Friday, September 4, at 1:40 p.m., while the Office of the Supreme Mufti has separately designated Saturday, September 5, for the special prayer, with the main congregation planned at Kibuli Grand Mosque.

The parallel calls come as drought continues to affect agriculture, livestock and water availability in several parts of Uganda, with Karamoja among the areas facing particularly severe food-security challenges.

In a circular issued on September 2, the UMSC Department of Religious Affairs said the prayer was organised in response to the prolonged dry conditions being experienced in different parts of the country.

Sheikh Ssali Imran Abdunoor, UMSC Secretary for Religious Affairs and signatory to the circular, called on Muslims to turn to Allah through repentance, supplication, charity and good deeds.

“Following the prolonged dry conditions being experienced in different parts of the country, Uganda Muslim Supreme Council has organized a National Prayer for Rain (Salatul-Istisqa), seeking the mercy, forgiveness and blessings of Almighty Allah,” Sheikh Abdunoor said.

He directed Regional Assistants to the Mufti, District Kadhis, County Sheikhs and Imams to mobilise Muslims and ensure that the prayer is properly organised in their respective areas.

“All Regional Assistants to the Mufti and District Kadhis are informed to take the lead in mobilizing Muslims in their respective areas and ensuring that all Imams, County Sheikhs and mosque leaders are informed and adequately prepared to organize and lead the prayer,” he said.

The UMSC also urged Muslims to use the occasion not only to pray for rain, but to engage in Istighfar, sincere repentance, Dua, charity and other good deeds.

A CALL FOR REPENTANCE

The UMSC prayer comes alongside a separate call by the Supreme Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Muhammad Shaban Galabuzi, for Muslims to turn to Allah as the country faces prolonged dry conditions.

Sheikh Galabuzi has urged Muslims to increase Sadaqah, fulfil their Zakat-ul-Maal obligations and repent from wrongdoing, saying the current hardships should prompt believers to examine their conduct.

He cited what he described as increasing impunity, dishonesty and corruption among some Ugandans, saying such behaviour could be among the factors contributing to what he regards as Allah’s displeasure.

“A lot is happening in the country. People are sinning day and night without repenting. This can lead to Allah’s anger,” Sheikh Galabuzi said.

The Supreme Mufti also said religious leaders could not simply watch as farmers lose livestock and livelihoods to prolonged dry conditions when Islamic teachings provide guidance on how Muslims should respond during drought.

His Director of Daawa, Sheikh Yasin Abbas Kiweewa, similarly called for repentance and the fulfilment of Zakat obligations, particularly Zakat on agricultural produce and livestock.

“Please repent to Allah. Farmers have failed to pay Zakat-ul-Maal from their farm produce and animals reared, which perhaps forms the basis of Allah’s anger for the prolonged drought,” Sheikh Kiweewa said.

KARAMOJA BEARS THE BRUNT

The calls for prayer come as drought and poor rainfall continue to place pressure on vulnerable communities, particularly in the Karamoja sub-region.

A June 2026 assessment by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) found that about 473,000 people in Karamoja; 32 per cent of the population analysed, were facing Crisis-level food insecurity or worse between April and July. About 41,000 people were classified in Emergency conditions, while all nine districts in the sub-region were classified in Crisis.

The crisis has prompted emergency interventions, including food distribution by the Office of the Prime Minister.

Muslim leaders and community groups have also called for greater support for vulnerable families, including efforts to provide food assistance to communities affected by hunger in Karamoja.

This has given the Muslim response to the drought both a spiritual and humanitarian dimension: Muslims are being urged not only to pray for rain, but also to give charity, fulfil Zakat obligations and support people whose livelihoods have been affected.

WEATHER PATTERNS REMAIN UNCERTAIN

The drought comes amid a changing and increasingly unpredictable climate outlook for Uganda.

The Ministry of Water and Environment has warned about the potential influence of an emerging El Niño event on Uganda’s weather patterns. The ministry’s August 2026 advisory indicated an increased likelihood of El Niño developing during the second half of the year and potentially continuing into 2027.

The weather outlook also points to the possibility of warmer-than-normal temperatures, while rainfall patterns could vary significantly across the country.