Shuura Council adopts Draft Rules of Procedure to strengthen governance at UMSC

By Ahmed Idriss

The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council’s top consultative organ, the Shuura Council, has strengthened internal governance within the Old Kampala based institution by adopting a comprehensive set of Draft Rules of Procedure. The meeting, chaired by Deputy Chairman Sheikh Luutu Sulaiman Wandera was attended by the Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, and the Deputy Secretary General, Counsel Haji Ali Muhammad Aluma.

Adopted pursuant to Article 28 (14) of the amended UMSC Constitution, the new rules are designed to streamline the conduct of the Shuura Council’s business, reinforce transparency, and ensure that all deliberations remain guided by Islamic principles.

According to the resolutions, “the Shuura Council shall be constituted, chaired, and operate in accordance with the UMSC Constitution as amended, and its proceedings and decisions shall be guided by the Holy Qur’an and the authentic Hadith.”

The Council also affirmed that “members may adopt any practice consistent with Shariah, provided it is duly agreed upon by members present in the meeting.”

The newly adopted procedures clearly spell out the composition of the Council, stating that “the Shuura Council shall consist of twenty-one members, including the Chairperson, selected from among themselves in accordance with Article 28 (7) of the Constitution of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council.”

They also outline conditions under which a member may lose office, including “death, permanent incapacity, conviction of an offence involving moral turpitude, or impeachment by a two-thirds majority for gross misconduct or violation of the Constitution.”

To preserve the sanctity and seriousness of its work, the Council underscored that all meetings must be private.

“All meetings shall be held in camera, and records, deliberations, and proceedings shall remain strictly confidential. Disclosure of any detail shall only be permitted upon a unanimous decision of the Shuura Council,” the resolution states.

The Council further emphasized quorum and decision-making procedures, noting that “no meeting shall proceed without the required quorum, and all agenda items shall be communicated in the meeting to maintain confidentiality.”

It added that “the decisions of the Shuura Council shall, as much as possible, be unanimous; all other decisions shall be made by a simple majority vote of members in attendance, and in case of a tie, the Chairperson shall cast the deciding vote.”

Under the new framework, the Secretary to the Shuura Council will be “a retired senior staff member of the UMSC,” tasked with preparing agendas, recording minutes, maintaining records, and communicating decisions to relevant offices. All minutes and records will be kept under the Office of the Secretary General and accessed only through unanimous authorization.

In addition, the Council resolved that “the operational costs of the Shuura Council meetings shall be facilitated by the UMSC in line with Article 28 (12) of the Constitution.”

Any future amendments to the rules will require “a resolution supported by at least three-quarters of the sitting members, provided that no amendment contravenes the Holy Qur’an, the Sunnah, or the UMSC Constitution.”

The adoption of these rules marks a significant milestone in the Council’s efforts to strengthen governance and consistency in its operations across the Muslim leadership structure.