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Rival Muslim factions at loggerheads over property again
Hajj Nyende blames UMSC for failing to give powers of attorney to Solicitor General - something that frustrated efforts to create a neutral account as guided by President Museveni
What you need to know:
- Mr Basajjabalaba collected rent from the said property up to 2007 when he sold it to another city tycoon Drake Lubega, who was in charge up to 2014.
- President Museveni then compensated Mr Lubega and the property reverted to the Muslims to cool tempers between various Muslim factions.
Kampala. Muslim youth, commonly known as Tabliqs, and Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) are again at loggerheads over the management of Muslim property on Plot 30 William Street in Kampala.
Each of the two factions accuses the other of misappropriating rent remittances from shops surrounding Masjid Noor Mosque.
Hajj Ayub Nyende, the secretary general of Uganda Tabliq Muslim Community, claims a mosque management committee headed by Sulaiman Ssemakula, which UMSC insists should continue managing the place, failed to account for Shs1.7b collected from tenants since March 2015 when they took over responsibility.
Interestingly, UMSC secretary general, Hajj Ramathan Mugalu and Mufti Shaban Mubajje, also demand accountability of Shs8.7b from Tabliqs that was collected between 2006 and 2014.
Mr Nyende reminds Mufti Mubajje and Hajj Mugalu to demand for accountability from city tycoons, Hajj Hassan Basajjabalaba and Drake Lubega, to whom they had sold the property before Tabliqs fought for its return.
“The president paid Shs3b to Drake Lubega to have that property back after UMSC had sold it. Let UMSC demand accountability from those they had sold the property to,” he says.
Tabliqs and UMSC claims they are following President Museveni’s directive issued on November 30, 2016 during a State House meeting which was attended by all Muslim factions.
According to documents Daily Monitor has seen, President Museveni ordered the Solicitor General, Mr Francis Atoke, to lead in ensuring that rent from the said property is collected and deposited on a neutral account for the benefit of all Muslims in Uganda until when their wrangles are resolved.
Mr Museveni also advised that the land title for the said property be in Solicitor General’s custody and that should be handed over to UMSC, the unifying body for all Muslims in the country, if they reach a consensus.
On December 23, 2016, Mr Atoke wrote back informing Mr Museveni saying he had discovered that the land title had been transferred into the names of UMSC, which legally
basis to request for rent.
Hajj Nyende blames UMSC for failing to give powers of attorney to Solicitor General - something that frustrated efforts to create a neutral account as guided by President Museveni.
“Had UMSC given powers of attorney to Solicitor General, all these wrangles wouldn’t be happening now because a neutral account could have been created. They refused knowing that they were not going to benefit,” Hajj Nyende adds.
When Mr Atoke detected messes regarding rent collection from the said property, he deposited the tittle in Housing Finance Bank for safe custody.
Sheikh Milaadu Kaluuma, a member of national executive committee of Uganda Tabliq Muslim community, says UMSC acted contrary to Mr Museveni’s directive and withdrew money that was meant to benefit all the three Muslim factions from an account created by Masjid Noor Muslim Community.
In his October 6, 2017 letter to all tenants of William Street Plot 30, Hajj Mugalu says UMSC opened a neutral account compelling the ousted mosque management committee, headed by Mr Ssemakula and others, to continue managing and bank the proceeds to a neutral account which UMSC provided.
“…I direct that you continue paying/ depositing your rent as guided by the mentioned managers on terms and conditions reached until further notice from the undersigned office,” Hajji Mugalu says in his letter which he copied to all security organs in Kampala, particularly the police, urging them to ensure peace, law and order at the mosque.
Hajji Nyende wonders why UMSC that claims to be demanding for accountability hired a law firm to respond to their financial inquiries, emphasising that the collected money had been spent to cater for expenses for managing the property.
Hajji Nyende on December 5, 2017 wrote to UMSC vice Chairman, Hajji Abdul Nadduli, also minister Without Portfolio, asking him to intervene in the ongoing wrangling between UMSC and Tabliqs. Efforts to get a comment from Hajj Nadduli were futile as he could not be reached.
