Sheikh Bbosa moves to resolve Nakasero SACCO row
By Ahmed Idriss
Sheikh Salim Bbosa, the Deputy Director of Sharia at the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), has offered to spearhead efforts to resolve a dispute engulfing the Nakasero Muslim Foundation Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCO).
The wrangles came to the fore last month after a section of disgruntled depositors accused the SACCO management of mismanaging members’ savings.
While the exact amount of money allegedly lost remains unclear, discussions on a dedicated WhatsApp group for SACCO members reveal the magnitude of some members’ investments. One depositor, for instance, claims to hold shares worth Shs 3 million, savings amounting to Shs 117 million, and an additional Shs 960,000 invested in the mosque’s investment club.
As tensions escalated, Sheikh Bbosa, who also serves as Director of Social Services and a member of the Jamuiyyat Tabligh Da-awah Assalafiya (JTDS) Shurua Council, appealed for calm and urged members to embrace dialogue as efforts to recover the missing funds continue.
“I am fully aware of the pain in your hearts after entrusting your money to people you believed in, only for things not to go as planned. No one can say they do not understand your pain. Even those who did not save money with the SACCO feel your frustration,” he stated in a message posted in the SACCO’s WhatsApp group.
Sheikh Bbosa, who is not a member of the SACCO, said he felt compelled to intervene because no Muslim would be happy to see fellow believers deprived of their hard-earned savings.
“However, what went wrong in the SACCO should not distract us from the broader interests of the Muslim community,” he said, adding that critics both within and outside the community were closely watching the developments.
He urged members pursuing the recovery of their money to remain mindful of the welfare of the wider Muslim community and avoid actions that could deepen divisions.
“I beseech you, for the sake of Allah, to exercise restraint in your words as you pursue the recovery of your savings. Let us do so without harming the image of the community and the dignity of Islam,” he said.
Bbosa also cautioned against statements threatening violence, warning that such remarks could attract the attention of law enforcement agencies.
“The time will come when you will recover what is owed to you. Let us avoid threatening statements that may invite intervention by security agencies,” he said.
As part of efforts to break the impasse, he proposed that members select 10 representatives to meet him and chart a way forward.
He further pledged to reach out to Abdurahman Buwembo, the head of the now-defunct SACCO, to establish what transpired and explore possible avenues for recovering members’ savings.
Buwembo also welcomed the proposal and expressed readiness to interface with Sheikh Bbosa.
“I am ready to provide answers, In Shaa Allah, and will also share the available recovery plan and a list of members who have already received payments,” Buwembo said.
