The High Court in Jinja has issued a temporary order preventing the installation of Sheikh Abdallah Ssemambo as the acting mufti of Uganda. The order, issued by Dr. Winfred Nabisinde, prohibits the execution of court orders related to the case until December 22. The files will then be presented to Principal Judge Dr. Flavian Zeija for further proceedings.
On December 12, Judge Faridah Shamilah Bukirwa Ntambi of Jinja High Court directed the Muslim council general assembly to convene a special session to address concerns about the management of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC). The assembly was instructed to appoint a neutral chairperson and submit a report promptly.
The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) filed an application seeking a stay of execution for the court judgment that allowed the general assembly to convene. The court order preventing Sheikh Ssemambo’s installation is effective until December 22.
A company case against UMSC, filed by Yudaya Babirye, Burhan Namanya, and Hussein Simbwa, triggered the court’s directive for the general assembly to review UMSC affairs. The case highlighted concerns about the continuous sale of Muslim properties in Uganda.
On December 18, a group of 180 Muslims claimed to be UMSC general assembly members declared the suspension of Mufti Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje for six months. They appointed Sheikh Abdallah Ssemambo as his replacement, and Haji Isa Gule was elected as the acting UMSC chairman.
Despite this, Mufti Mubaje has vowed not to leave office until his term expires in 2025. The crisis prompted the intervention of the Interreligious Council of Uganda (IRCU), led by Church of Uganda Archbishop Dr. Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu.
The UMSC conflict is rooted in the sale of Ssembabule Muslim land, particularly the sale of a 518-hectare property in Ssembabule to businessman Justus Kyabahwa in 2020. Legal disputes and court orders have ensued, including a directive for UMSC to pay Kyabahwa sh19b, currently under appeal.
The Court of Appeal has temporarily halted the attachment of UMSC properties, including the Gaddafi National Mosque, pending the resolution of the appeal.
