UMSC ushers youth into leadership with 20,000-strong Assembly

By Ahmed Idriss

In a rare and bold move for a religious institution, the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) is opening the doors of its leadership chambers to the youth — not just symbolically, but constitutionally.

On August 6th and 7th, 2025, more than 20,000 Muslim youth from all corners of Uganda are expected to gather at Bugembe Stadium in Jinja City for the inaugural Uganda Muslim Youth Council Assembly. The event will mark the first formal activation of a democratically elected youth structure within the UMSC, a product of the 2022 constitutional amendment that embedded youth leadership into the council’s governance framework.

Held under the theme “Youth Empowerment and Skills Development for Self-Sustainability,” the assembly is being celebrated as a transformative milestone — not just for Uganda’s Muslim youth, but for the very architecture of religious leadership in the country.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is expected to officiate as Chief Guest, alongside the Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, and UMSC National Chairman Owek. Prof. Dr. Muhammadi Lubega Kisambira, who will preside over the celebrations.

But beyond the presence of dignitaries and the pageantry of mass mobilization, the real story is structural. For the first time, Muslim youth will have a formal role in shaping the policies and direction of the UMSC — from mosque committees to national deliberations.

“This is not a youth wing. It’s a fully integrated platform where young Muslims can engage in leadership, planning, and decision-making at every level,” said Habib Mustafa, National Chairman of the UMSC Youth Council Assembly. “We’re not guests in the Ummah. We are part of its future and now — finally — its leadership.”

The reformed structure mandates youth representation across all Muslim regions in Uganda and guarantees them a voice in the UMSC’s General Assembly.

It’s a departure from traditional, elder-dominated models of religious authority that have, for generations, marginalized young people from critical decision-making spaces. With over 70% of Uganda’s population under the age of 30, religious relevance increasingly depends on youth engagement.