UMSC tightens control over land titles for Muslim schools

By Ahmed Idriss

The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has directed Muslim-founded schools to seek approval from its headquarters before processing land titles, warning that failure to properly document ownership could threaten the institutions’ Muslim identity and future control.

In Circular No. 8 of 2026 dated August 5, the UMSC Department of Education and Sports said it had observed that some Muslim-founded schools were acquiring land titles through local authorities without clearly indicating the foundation body behind the institutions.

The circular, signed by UMSC Secretary for Education and Sports Sheikh Juma Bakhit Cucu, said the practice creates risks over ownership and could eventually lead to the loss of the schools’ Muslim identity.

UMSC cited Arua Public Secondary School and Soroti Secondary School as examples of institutions where the Muslim identity was lost due to unclear ownership documentation.

While acknowledging the government requirement for schools to have registered land titles, UMSC said titles for Muslim-founded schools must clearly show both the registered name of the school and UMSC as the foundation body.

“This is intended to safeguard the legal identity of the school while protecting the interests of the foundation body,” the council said.

Under the new guidelines, no Muslim-founded school will be allowed to process or obtain a land title without prior written approval from the respective Regional Assistant to the Mufti (RAM) and UMSC headquarters.

District Kadhis, RAMs, School Management Committees and Boards of Governors have been tasked with monitoring land registration processes and reporting any schools that have already acquired titles without recognising UMSC as the foundation body.

The council said the measures are aimed at protecting the heritage, ownership and property rights of Muslim-founded schools against future disputes and possible encroachment.

UMSC URGES SCHOOLS TO IMPROVE STANDARDS AND ENROLMENT

Meanwhile, UMSC has called on administrators of Muslim-founded schools to strengthen cooperation with its Education Department to improve learning standards and increase enrolment.

The call was made by Sheikh Juma Bakhit Cucu during an inspection tour of schools in the West Buganda Muslim Region.

At Bajja Community Primary School in Kalungu District, Cucu commended the founders for investing in infrastructure but expressed concern over low enrolment despite the school’s capacity to accommodate more learners.

He encouraged the management to intensify community mobilisation and work with UMSC programmes aimed at improving education quality.

The delegation also visited Kabukunge Primary Teachers’ College, a former UMSC institution established in the late 1970s, where Cucu said the ageing facilities could be rehabilitated for future educational use.

At Kabukunge Muslim Secondary School, the team was informed of the school’s growth, with Deputy Headteacher Abdu Tarieq Azziz Oryema saying enrolment had risen to more than 2,000 students following improved infrastructure and cooperation with parents and education authorities.

Cucu praised the progress and urged the school to maintain collaboration with UMSC to strengthen institutional development.

The inspection forms part of UMSC’s efforts to assess the condition of Muslim-founded educational institutions and improve coordination within the sector.