UMSC, Halal Bureau to sign working MoU
The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) and Uganda Halal Bureau (UHB), a private Muslim organization involved in the certification of Halal products are scheduled to sign a working memorandum of understanding, the Friday Call has learnt.
Haj Muhammad Ali Aluma, the UMSC Secretary General revealed this in a meeting with Moulana Mohammed Saeed Navlakhi, the Theological Director of the South African National Halaal Authority and his Assistant, Moulana Haamid Mulla at the UMSC headquarters on Monday August 21, 2023.
The duo’s visit to the UMSC Headquarters was coordinated by the Uganda Halal Bureau (UHB), which has expressed interest in exporting products to South Africa, which required certification according to Halal standards.
During the meeting, Aluma revealed that they are working on an MOU with the Uganda Halal Bureau to promote the Halal concept in Uganda.
Abdul-Hakim Sekandi, speaking on behalf of the Uganda Halal Bureau, emphasized UMSC’s role as the mother body and confirmed the imminent signing of the MOU to promote the Halal concept in the country.
Moulana Navlakhi explained the background of their collaboration with the Uganda Halal Bureau. He explained that during their initial visit to Uganda, they learnt of the Uganda Halal Bureau in ensuring the consumption of permissible animals and birds by the Muslim community.
He however, noted that they observed certain deficiencies in slaughterhouses that needed to be addressed to fully realize the concept of Halal and its focus on safety and quality of products.
“We had an opportunity of being taken on a guided tour of some abattoirs and we got assured and reliably informed that from time immemorial, it is the responsibility of Muslims to slaughter permissible animals and birds for public consumption,” Moulana Navlakhi remarked.
Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa, the second deputy Mufti who received the visitors on behalf of the Mufti Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje expressed gratitude for the visit and praised the South African Muslims as role models, not only in Halal practices but also in their high level creation of Awqaf (endowment) that has contributed to the development of Islam.
He called for closer collaboration in areas such as capacity building and resource mobilization for the Halal industry.
