Suspended Masaka Kadhi declines to hand over office

He has also refused to hand over the official car,  saying he is still the substantive district Kadhi.

Sheikh Bagunduuse claims his suspension was illegal because such a decision can only be made by the Muslim district executive committee with approval of West Buganda Muslim  regional executive committee, which was not done.

“Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has no office premises here, this place belongs to some well-wisher who has over the years been supportive of  Muslim activities in Masaka,” he said last week.

Despite being denied access to the offices, Sheikh Kiruta yesterday said he has already started work as a Kadhi.

“I have already started my tour of duty and serving [God] , we have already moved to a place where we are building an office and a mosque in Soweto within Masaka City ,” he said.

Sheikh Kiruta, who is also the Imam of Mariam Mosque in Lukaya Town, Kalungu District, said he is also in the process of acquiring  an official UMSC stamp since Sheikh Bagunduuse also refused to hand it over.

Mr Hakimu Lubega, one of the lawyers who has been handling cases on the perpetual power struggles in the Muslim community, said Mufti Mubajje had no authority to discipline his subordinates given the scandals he has been involved in.  

He cited the 2010 incident where the Mufti was impeached by the UMSC general assembly following his alleged involvement in illegal sale of property in Kampala, but he has continued to occupy the same office to date.

“Muslim leadership politics is very complex. A leader at any level can get suspended or impeached, but remains in office as long as he has favours from those with state power. It is a bad practice, but it has been like that for many years ,” he said.

Mr Lubega said Muslim leaders could be using the existing administrative structures to resolve their internal disagreements, but the structures are ‘dead’.

“The council has no structures, secondly their constitution of 1989 has never been amended and it has lacunas which require amendments to suit the interests of all Muslims,”  he said.

The UMSC secretary general, Mr  Ramathan Mugalu, described Sheikh Bagunduuse’s action as insubordination.

“It is unfortunate that Sheikh Bagunduuse wilfully disobeyed a superior’s legitimate directive, he is trying playing politics, but we shall handle him administratively. Let him remember that he is a spiritual leader, an administrator not a politician,” Mr Mugalu said.

Regarding the car which Sheikh Bagunduuse refused to hand over, Mr Mugalu said:“We are engaging the people who donated that car to see how we can get it back  to do official work of the council.”

Muslim factions in Masaka

Like it is the case in many districts, Muslims in Masaka have two factions, one that subscribes to the Kibuli leadership and the one loyal to UMSC at Old Kampala.

At Masaka Main Mosque, whose leaders subscribe to the Kibuli Muslim faction, the Supreme Mufti Silman Kasule Ndirangwa, sacked Sheikh Yasiin Kakomo ,the Masaka Regional chairperson in charge of Zakat.

He also fired Sheikh Yasiin  Kakomo for allegedly subscribing to both old Kampala and Kibuli, which reportedly aided Sheikh Mubajje’s group to access documents ,leading to sale of some properties in the area.

Last month, Mr Yasiin Lubowa resigned as chairperson of Masaka Muslim District council and defected to the Kibuli faction with 40 other Muslim leaders in Masaka.

Divisions emerged after Mufti Mubajje’s leadership was accused of illegally selling Muslim property on William Street in Kampala.
Those opposed to his  leadership took the matter to court which later exonerated him.

However, they were dissatisfied with the ruling and went ahead to establish a parallel leadership based at Kibuli Mosque.

Although the property has since reverted to Muslims andMufti Mubajje publicly apologised, a section of Muslims still believe that this is not enough since he has not reconciled with other top leaders at Kibuli.

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