UMSC launches 10-year blue print for success

By Ahmed Idriss

The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has unveiled a 10-year strategic development plan which the Muslim apex body in the country hopes will cause positive change in the lives of the Ugandan Muslims.

Hadji Abasa Muluubya, the UMSC secretary-general, told guests at a dinner hosted on December 6, at Speke Resort Munyonyo, that after a 50-year walk in the shadows of administrative turmoil, UMSC is now focused on building an economically empowered and resilient Muslim community.

He said the leadership at Old Kampala has taken steps to overcome past challenges such as theological divisions and administrative instability. He cited the reorganisation of the UMSC administrative structure with an emphasis on empowering women and youths in leadership.

“We now look forward with a 10-year strategic plan aimed at fostering development and strengthening our structures across the ten established Muslim regions,” Muluubya said.

To strengthen the administrative units, Muluubya said, UMSC had initiated various income-generating endowments from which they hope to raise revenue to support the council’s activities.

UMSC national chairperson, Prof. Muhammad Lubega Kisambira, said that the council’s strategic vision is built on seven key pillars: transforming Muslim households, enhancing financial stability, improving the quality and accessibility of Muslim education, expanding health facilities, and advancing the professional development of sheikhs.

“Our strategic vision is the result of careful planning and aims to address the social and economic challenges faced by our communities,” Kisambira said, citing ongoing initiatives such as the construction of a 20-unit apartment complex at Najjanankumbi to generate revenue for the council.

Kisambira called on professionals and corporates to support UMSC’s transformation efforts. “We need you to be part of this transformation. UMSC is your home, and it will remain even as leadership changes,” he emphasized.

The Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Ramathan Mubaje, expressed his delight in noting that, under his leadership since 2000, UMSC had undergone a remarkable transformation from a financially struggling entity to a thriving institution that has earned the pride and admiration of the entire Muslim community.

“We came to unite and develop Islam, and we now have functional structures and income-generating projects to sustain our vision,” Mubaje said, further calling for continued support from the Muslim community.

The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga, commended the UMSC leadership for its visionary approach and urged interfaith collaboration. “We shall walk with you. Your strategic vision is commendable, and I encourage other religious institutions to learn from your progress,” Kadaga said.