UMSC Hajj crisis: Who failed the pilgrims?

By Issa Kigongo & Jafar Mugera

As pilgrims registered with groups allied to Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) begun to depart for this year’s Hajj (holy pilgrimage to Makkah) on May 17, the leadership at Old Kampala renewed its attacks on the Uganda Bureau of Hajj Affairs (UBHA) – the body responsible for coordinating Ugandan pilgrims and drawing the Presidency into the dispute.

The UMSC-affiliated groups, notably Makkah-Madinah Hajj Services and UMSC’s Majlis Hijjah and Umrah Travel and Tours Ltd, collectively registered 343 intending pilgrims but only 249 eventually secured visas following a last-minute intervention by UBHA after months of uncertainty and administrative wrangles. These groups had earlier withdrawn their payments from UBHA amid an unsuccessful attempt by the Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Ramathan Mubaje, to dislodge the Bureau from its role of coordinating Ugandan pilgrims.

While the groups informed their clients in late March that they had independently applied for Hajj visas outside the framework of UBHA, the secretary of Hajj and Umrah at UMSC, Sheikh Ali Juma Shiwuyo, turned the blame on the bureau following the failure of 94 pilgrims to secure visas.

“We are pained that we received visas for only 249 out of the 343 pilgrims we paid for. Uganda Bureau of Hajj Affairs should be honest enough and explain what happened to the visas of the 94 pilgrims whose fees were fully paid,” Shiwuyo told journalists on May 15.

The latest accusations come against the backdrop of a sustained campaign by UMSC which began in December last year, to wrest control of Hajj coordination from UBHA. The Friday Call extensively reported on UMSC’s attempts to initiate civil proceedings against the bureau, as well as efforts to invite the State House anti-corruption unit and the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to initiate investigations aimed at prosecuting the bureau’s leadership.

UMSC also petitioned the Ministry of Internal Affairs to recall the diplomatic passports issued to Kyewalyanga and Hajj Hussein Twaib Bogere, UBHA’s secretary-general. However, none of the efforts yielded the desired outcome as Saudi Arabia retained the bureau as the recognised body overseeing the coordination of Ugandan pilgrims travelling for Hajj.

STATE HOUSE

Shiwuyo also directed his criticism at senior State House officials, notably, special presidential assistant, Hajjat Mariam Namayanja Kiwanuka, accusing them of frustrating dozens of Muslims sponsored by President Yoweri Museveni to perform this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.

President Museveni’s sponsorship programme catered for 150 Imams and Amiraats, including the 32 beneficiaries who failed to travel last year after they were unable to secure visas for the pilgrimage.

“The groundwork was completed early, but approval from State House has been delayed,” Sheikh Ali Juma Shiwuyo said, expressing frustration over what he described as bureaucratic delays that threatened to derail the travel plans of the sponsored pilgrims.

Namayanja could not could not be reached for comment, as her known telephone contacts were unavailable by press time. However, sources within State House told The Friday Call that the delays stemmed from UMSC’s failure to meet conditions set for the release of the presidential Hajj sponsorship funds.

Museveni last year launched an annual programme to sponsor 100 needy Imams and Amiraats to perform Hajj. However, disagreements between UMSC and the Imams’ association reportedly delayed the process, resulting in 32 beneficiaries missing out on visas for the pilgrimage.

To avoid a repeat of last year’s setbacks, State House this year opted to work directly with licensed Hajj operators facilitating travel to Makkah. Besides UMSC, the selected firms included Anwaary Travels and Tawakkal Travels.

Under the arrangement, UMSC was allocated 65 beneficiaries, Tawakkal Travels was tasked with handling the 32 pilgrims who missed last year’s pilgrimage, while Anwaary Travels took responsibility for 53 beneficiaries, mainly those said to be uncomfortable with the current UMSC leadership.

“The condition was simple. Any organisation seeking release of funds had to submit an invoice accompanied by copies of the beneficiaries’ visas,” the source said.

Sources further revealed that Anwaary Travels and Tawakkal Travels submitted the required documentation as early as March and promptly received payment. UMSC, however, was still embroiled in efforts to wrest control of Hajj coordination from the Uganda Bureau of Hajj Affairs.

On May 4, when the sponsored pilgrims were invited to the Office of the President conference hall for an official send-off, UMSC officials reportedly turned up expecting the release of funds for their 65 beneficiaries. They were, however, advised to first submit the required invoices together with proof of issued visas.

“On May 5, they submitted an invoice with visas for 17 beneficiaries. They later submitted another with five names, and funds for the 22 beneficiaries whose visas had been secured were subsequently released,” the source said.