Uncertainty as Basajjabalaba Plots Mubaje Ouster
The situation remained tense at Old Kampala mosque on Thursday as the police cordoned off the headquarters of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), to effect a court order restraining Sheikh Shaban Ramathan Mubaje from exercising his role as Mufti.
The court order arises from a suit filed at the Mengo Chief Magistrate’s court by former UMSC chairman, Hassan Basajjabalaba against Sheikh Mubaje as an individual and UMSC. It stems from his botched campaign to reclaim the chairmanship of the UMSC general assembly last December.
“An interim order of injunction is issued against the respondents, their agents, employees and all persons acting on their instructions restraining them from carrying out any and/or conducting any functions and/or activities on behalf of UMSC or do any other activity incidental thereto until the final determination of the main application or until further orders of this Honourable Court,” partly reads the court order. It was issued on January 10.
Basajjabalaba’s lawyers from Lwere, Lwanyaga and Co. Advocates arrived at the UMSC headquarters under police protection shortly before midday and served the secretary general, Hajji Ramathan Mugalu who forwarded the court documents to the Muslim body’s lawyer, Musa Kabega.
At the special sitting of the new UMSC general assembly last December, Mubaje invoked Article 4(2) of the amended UMSC constitution to block Basajjabalaba’s bid to head the assembly as chairman. The Article stipulates that a candidate has to be nonpartisan or/and not holding any political office, never convicted of any criminal offence under the laws of Uganda or has never been successfully impeached by UMSC at any time. It also requires contestants for the general assembly’s top seat to be knowledgeable in Islam with the ability to recite at least 20 Surahs of the Qur’an.
Turmoil
Far from the desired hope of building new bridges for unity within the Muslim community, recent developments show that last year’s UMSC general elections brought opposition to Mubaje’s Muftship within the realms of Old Kampala.
The most disappointing result for Mubaje was Bushenyi’s election of Basajjabalaba to the general assembly. The two men were ironically close allies prior to the former’s impeachment in 2010.
Insiders at Old Kampala say that Mubaje has never forgiven Basajjabalaba for the challenges he has faced since 2008 when a section of Muslims decamped and formed a parallel leadership structure based at Kibuli following accusations that duo fraudulently sold Muslim properties.
Mubaje could therefore not let Basajjabalaba get back the chairmanship of the general assembly. The Bushenyi delegate had successfully mobilized a sizeable fraction of the more than 240-member general assembly to his side and many of these were at Old Kampala on Thursday as the drama unfolded.
Later, they moved to Hera Hotel where they addressed a press conference during which they accused Mubaje of illegally selling off the 518-hectare Mawogola ranch comprised on Block 38A, Bukiragi, Ntuusi sub-county, Sembabule district.
“The truth should come out, I want to ask my friend the Mufti to account for the money that accrued from the sale of the Sembabule land,” said Abdul Kiyimba who was flanked by other members of the general assembly. The group also demanded accountability for the Shs 2.5 billion that the government allocated to the Muslim body to conduct last year’s elections.
“We are also aware that [UMSC] owns 15 acres of land at Kitante, we need to be updated on the status of that land,” Kiyimba said.
UMSC Spokesperson, Zziwa Ashraf, appealed for calm saying that while they are aware of the court order, the UMSC headquarters cannot close because activities like the daily five prayers cannot be stopped as doing so would violate the freedom of worship.
