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Security deploys heavily as Muslim leaders convene to discuss new constitution
Police deployed heavily at Old Kampala Mosque Tuesday as members of the Ugandan Muslim Supreme Council met to discuss a new Constitution. Photo | Shabibah Nakirigya
What you need to know:
- UMSC spokesperson Ashiraf Muvawala, said over 200 Muslim leaders are expected to attend the General Assembly where several issues are going to be discussed.
Police have deployed heavily at Old Kampala Mosque as members of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council meet to discuss their proposed new Constitution that will guide all Muslims across the country while electing new leaders.
Speaking to journalists who were blocked from accessing the meeting hall, UMSC spokesperson Ashiraf Muvawala, said over 200 Muslim leaders are expected to attend the General Assembly where several issues are going to be discussed.
There are also reports that a section of UMSC members has embarked on an impeachment process of the top three leaders including; the Mufti Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, Secretary-General Ramadhan Mugalu and the council chairman Al-Hajji AbdulRahman Nadduli.
But Mr Muvawala dismissed the reports as baseless rumours "which are not even included on the agenda of the General Assembly."
"The General Assembly is here to scrutinise, review and approve the new amended Constitution of UMSC," he said.
The General Assembly comes almost five months after the term of office for the current leadership expired on March 17, 2022.
The UMSC elections, which were initially scheduled for May, didn’t take place due to lack of funds and the delayed completion of the constitutional review process.
It is the amended constitution that is supposed to be followed while electing new Muslim leaders right from the mosque level to the UMSC General Assembly.
Shs6.9b had earlier been budgeted for the elections, but UMSC failed to raise the money.
In May, Parliament approved Shs2.5b to facilitate UMSC electoral activities.
Mufti elections
After electing the Muslim leaders at lower levels next year, the faithful will shift focus to electing the new mufti.
The Muslim body last organised elections for members of the General Assembly in 2012 and for the Mufti in 2000.
If the proposed constitution is ratified, Mufti Shaban Mubajje will be eligible to occupy the office for another five years until 2025.
Under the current UMSC constitution, Sheikh Mubajje, 66, who has been in office since December 2000, is supposed to relinquish office when he clocks 70 years.
The proposed constitution, which the Monitor has seen, indicates that the mufti should be aged at least 55 and can serve one term of 10 years until he clocks 75.
There is also a proposal to have the Mufti elected by only 21 members of Majlis Al-Ulama (college of learned sheikhs), not the general assembly as indicated in the current constitution.
Under the current constitution, the Mufti only chairs the management committee and the Majlis Al-Ulama.
There is a proposal to allow him to chair the executive committee, which makes standing orders that govern the proceedings of the assembly and other organs of the body.
