1979:Sheikh Kassimu Mulumba Makes His Maiden Statement

Kassimu Mulumba

Sheikh Kassimu Mulumba took over office as the Chief Kadhi of Uganda ( Mufti)  shortly after his return from Kenya’s Capital Nairobi at a function at the Aga Khan Mosque overlooking the new taxi park along Namirembe road, which then served as the UMSC Headquarters.

Speaking during his first public appearance at Juma prayers at Wandegeya Mosque, Sheikh Mulumba challenged those who were talking about the liberation of Uganda from the tyranny (read Idd Amin’s government)

“There is no liberation when Muslims are being killed. If the UNLF Gov’t isn’t ready to protect Muslims and their properties, am ready to declare Jihad so that Muslims defend themselves,” Sheikh Mulumba warned in 1979.

Muslims welcomed the statement, which spread like bush fire. The statement also energised and encouraged Muslims to comeout of their hideouts and identify with Islam such as wearing long tunics, caps and veils like never before.

Muslims also displayed un-precedent  passion towards their leader. Indeed no Muslim leader in recent history has enjoyed total support, compassion, and commanded a big following like Sheikh Mulumba.

Sheikh Mulumba received a  hero’s welcome during his countrywide tour in war ravaged areas. Muslims praised him and addressed with highly cherished royal cultural  expressions in Buganda such as “lukomwa nantawetwa” literally meaning “strong deep rooted Mahogany tree whose trunk can’t easily bend.

They also addressed him as “Nantasibwa  Omuge ” powerful Chief  who can’t be crowned with stuff without his royal approval, “Walulinda, Mpango, and above all “Al- Adhiib” in Arabic highly disciplined and humble.

They also claimed that Sheikh Mulumba was highly educated and would fluently speak ’70” international languages.

Sheikh Mulumba Misses Golden Chance

Shortly after assuming office, His Eminence Sheikh Kassimu Mulumba, the Chief Kadhi together with his Executive appointed a new Board of Directors to manage the  Industrial & Commercial Holding  Company Ltd.

The Company was tasked to oversee and supervise other UMSC Subsidiary Companies comprising the Uganda Ranchers among others. Uganda Ranches operated Sembabule Ranch,  which is the case study of our series. 

The Board members comprised the following prominent Muslim Personalities;

●  late Haj Ramadhan  Wasiike, the Chair

●  late Haj Ali Kirunda  Kivejinja

● late  Sheikh Abdunoor  Anas  Kalisa

●  Mr. Norman Kyamanywa

● Haj Fazal Gingo,

●  Haj Simbwa Bunya,

●  Mr. Ibrahim Seguya.

The board was tasked to audit and take stock of what had remained of the UMSC’s Commercial Projects and recommend possible ways of reviving the factories and Ranches affected by the war.

However, around May 1980,  the political temperature flared up following the return of the then Ex-Ugandan President Milton Obote from exile in Tanzania. UPC Stalwarts were working around the clock to regain full control of State Power. On the other hand,  the term of the UMSC Interim Administration under Sheikh Mulumba was about to expire.

However, the independent UMSC Taskforce Committee put in place to organize National Muslim general Election under  the chairmanship of the late Haj. Asuman Mbubi and Late Sulaiman Kiggundu (Dr) as  Administrative Secretary,  had  released the Election Road Map for the UMSC elections scheduled to start in October 1980.

Sheikh Mulumba was advised to call for an urgent meeting of the College of Sheikhs ( Majlis Al Ulaama) for consultations about the ongoing Muslim Election processes. The Meeting took place at the UMSC Headquarters at Old Kampala. During the said meeting, the late Sheikh Zubair Kayongo made a special proposal calling for the suspension of the UMSC Constitution to pave way for the indefinite postponement of the general elections.

This would automatically extend Sheikh Kassimu Mulumba’s tenure as the Chief Kadhi of Uganda without subjecting him to a fresh round of elections.The late Sheikh Yusuf Zirabamuzale, a diehard supporter of Sheikh Mulumba seconded the proposal that was unanimously approved by the members.

Eventually, Sheikh Kassimu Mulumba made a special communication on the outcomes of the meeting.

However, the taskforce that was already preparing for the polls rejected the decision by the college of Sheikhs on the grounds that  they did not have such powers under the Provisions of the UMSC Constitution.

They argued that only competent Courts of Law could issue such orders.

The golden chance Sheikh Kassim Mulumba missed  was his failure to analyse the prevailing situation when Muslims needed unity more than never before because they were  still mourning their dead and nursing wounds inflicted on them during the 1979 war.

Secondly, Sheikh Mulumba was fully aware that he needed to formalise his appointment because there was no shortcut. He would have actually registered  landslide victory.

Unfortunately, Sheikh Mulumba whole-heartedly listened and acted upon advice of his political god father, mentor and close friend the late Paul Muwanga who had assumed state power through his appointment as Chairman of the Military Commission that ruled Uganda towards the 1980 National General elections.

Muwanga came into contact with Sheikhs’ Umar Ddumba  the legendary Quran Reciter, the late Muhammad Bbira and Kassimu Mulumba in the late 1950s during their studies in Egypt. This was also at the peak of Pan- African struggle for independence. The late Egyptian President Gamal Nasser offered all logistical support towards African Freedom fighters by allowing them to open coordination offices in Cairo.

As a result, the Uganda National Congress ( UNC) sent Muwanga to Egypt as its representative  and shortly after Uganda got her independence in 1962, he went on to become Uganda’s first envoy in Egypt. The three Sheikhs played a great deal in helping Muwanga to understand the Egyptian Islamic Arab Culture.  They lived in Egypt for over 20 years.

So, in 1980 the late Sheikh Mulumba in  the accompany of his close collegues; late Sheikh Muhammad Bbira and Umar Ddumba paid a visit to Paul Muwanga, who was excited to see them. He directed his aide de Camp Paul Makanya, who was in charge of protocol in his office to take good care of the Sheikhs.

“These Sheikhs are part of my family so, whenever they want to see me please let them in and never bother them with bureaucracy and office rules,” Muwanga directed.

It was during their frequent visits to State House  when  Muwanga learnt that Sheikh Mulumba’s tenure was about to expire.

“Please kindly listen to me, You Sheikh Mulumba and your collegues, you’re highly learnt Islamic theologians who are fit to head Muslims now to whom do you want to shoulder responsibility?” he asked. Adding that “Apart from you,  am not ready to see any body  steering UMSC. So, that business of UMSC elections needs to be  halted.”

This is the idea of suspended the then looming UMSC general elections was born leading to sharp divisions and conflicts among Muslims.

Prince Badru Kakungulu

Political Interference Breeds Conflicts

The Majority of Muslims especially in Central Region ( Buganda  ) and to some extent Busoga welcomed Sheikh Kassimu Mulumba’s proposal to halt the UMSC 1980 general elections that were already in progress.

On the other hand, Sheikh Abdu Obeid Kamulegeya had shown interest to compete for  the high Office of the Chief Kadhi and even went ahead to mobilise and implore his supporters to participate in the planned elections.

Sheikh  Kamulegeya’s team realised that the only  way to achieve  their goal would be to neutralize Mulumba’s solid support. As a result, Sheikh Kamulegeya hatched a plan of convincing Prince Al Haj Badru Kakungulu to offer himself and run for the position of national UMSC Chairman on grounds that Mulumba had stabbed him in the back by extending his mandate and taking on titles reserved for  Buganda royals despite being an ordinary Muganda.

Convinced with the reasons, Prince Badru  Kakungulu accepted to join the race. After learning about Kamulegeya’s decision, staunch UPC supporters and confidants of Dr. Milton Apollo Obote then UPC Party President  threw their weight behind him and pledged to offer him ( Kamulegeya) all the necessary support to achieve his goal.

The Elections took place under the supervision and monitoring of the UMSC Taskforce Committee. Muslim leaders at various levels were elected.  Between Sept 23rd – 26th 1980, A New UMSC General Assembly, the Supreme Organ of the Council was officially consituted  at Makerere University Man Hall.

The  Assembly thereafter elected Sheikh Abdu Obeid Kamulegeya as the Chief Kadhi and the late  Prince Al Haj Badru Kakungulu as the National Chairman

The other officials were

● Haj Isah Khalifa Lukwago, Hon Secretary General deputies by  Haj  Abdu

    Juma Biramahiire,

● Haj Majid Bagalaaliwo Treasurer,

●  Haj Zakariya Risaasi,   Assistant Treasurer,

● Late Haj  Ramadhan   Wasike, Secretary for  Housing,

●  Haj Muhamood Kazibiraine, Secretary for Education.

● Late Sheikh Ahmad  Mukasa, Secretary for   Religious Affairs

  ● Late Haj Yusuf  Nsubuga Nsambu, Legal Officer.

Sheikh Mulumba dismissed the executive after learning that they had supported  the elections. Also dismissed was the Deputy Chief Kadhi, Sheikh Ali Kivumbi who was replaced by Sheikh Muhammad Ssemakula.

The others included the,

● Late Haj Sulaiman Masaba, the Hon Secretary  General

●  Sheikh Taib Masembe, Secretary for Religious Affairs,

●  Sheikh Muhammad  Bbira the  Protocol Officer,

●  Sheikh Muhammad  Kibanga, the Personal Private Secretary Office of the Chief Kadhi,

●  Late Sheikh Muhammad  Mukongo, the Head of Muslim Volunteers,

●   Late Sheikh Yusuf Mukasa  Officer in charge of  Zakah

●  Late Sheikh Isah  Ssembajjwe,  Waqf ( Endowment) Officer

●  Sheikh Muhamood Walukagga, Tabligh ( Islamic Propagation,

● Late Sheikh Abas  Lukenge, the Slaughter Officer

● Sheikh Ali Mpugu Secretary for Education

● Late Sheikh Yusuf  Zirabamuzale, the Secretary   for Mawuledi ceremonies.

Reconciliation Attempts

Rabitat Al Alam Al Islami (Muslim World League) based in the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia felt concerned about the plight and suffering Ugandan Muslims went through during the 1979 war and the subsequent disturbances among them. As a result, the late Sheikh Muhammad Ali Hakaran, then Secretary-General of MWL extended invitations to Sheikh Kassimu Mulumba, the Chief Kadhi and Sheikh Maulana Abdu- Razak Matovu who went in his capacity as the Kibuli group representative and Uganda’s representative to the board of the Muslim World League in Makkah.

Both Sheikhs honoured the invitations and travelled to Saudi Arabia. The reconciliation meeting took place at Muslim World League Secretariat in Makkah on June 19th, 1981. After the meeting, the sheikhs signed an agreement committing to work together and share the National Offices. Under the agreement, Sheikh Kassimu Mulumba retained his executive powers as the Topmost leader and Chief Kadhi of Uganda while Sheikh Matovu was to assume the ceremonial office of the Mufti with the limited role of handling religious matters such as the interpretation of Holy Quran and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ( PBUH).

However, the confidants of both principals outrightly rejected the agreement on grounds that they were not consulted. This left Sheikh Abdu- Razak Matovu in an awkward position because he had negotiated for himself an office leaving out his superior Sheikh Abdu Obeid Kamulegeya. Following advice from his camp, Sheikh Abdu- Razak Matovu also publically denounced the agreement, saying that he didn’t fully comprehend the colloquial Arabic Language used and that it was after his return that the terms of the agreement were explained to him, which he couldn’t accept.

On the other hand, the supporters of Sheikh Mulumba seemed to have interest in the title of the Mufti and decided to address him both as the Chief Kadhi and Mufti in addition to many other titles.

The sharp conflicts continued.

By

Zziwa Ashiraf

UMSC Spokesperson.

A letter written by a Muslim War Victim of 1979

Sheikh Kassimu Mulumba Appointed Acting Chief Kadhi of Uganda

The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council  constitutional organs had nearly collapsed as already discussed in previous series  So, Prince Al- Haj Badru Kakungulu was advised to call an urgent Meeting of the College of Sheikhs( Majlis Al Ulaama) at Kibuli Mosque, for the purposes of putting in place a caretaker UMSC Administration.

Fifty five (55) Sheikhs turned up for the crucial meeting. In his address, Prince Kakungulu urged them to perform two tasks which, included appointing an Interim courageous leader and his executive as caretakers of the UMSC Administration for the period of six months. He also tasked them to put in place an Independent Taskforce to organise National Muslim general elections for substantive leaders  to the the lower structures. The program was to be implemented immediately after  the war.

After the deliberations, they unanimously agreed to appoint the late Sheikh Kassimu Mulumba, a graduate from the prestigious Egyptian based Ahzar University. Sheikh Mulumba was serving as Kampala District Kadhi and  Makerere University Mosque Imam at the time of his appointment.

The peak of the war found Sheikh Mulumba on an official working trip in Saudi Arabia. On his return he made a stop over in Nairobi because the situation was still tense,  risky and dangerous in Uganda since the war was  raging on.  Sheikh Mulumba received the news of his appointment to the highest Muslim office in the country while in  Nairobi, Kenya.

The meeting appointed Sheikh Ali Kivumbi, Deputy Chief Kadhi, Dr. Abdu K. Kosozi,  Acting Secretary General while the late  Sheikh  Ahmad Mukasa retained his position as Secretary for Religious Affairs among others.

By Zziwa Ashiraf

UMSC Spokesperson.

UNLF Attempt to Outlaw UMSC Flops

The Uganda National Liberation Front-UNLF government assumed State Power after ousting President Iddi Amin Dada through an external invasion in 1979. The UNLF government comprised mainly Ugandan dissidents, who had fought alongside Tanzania People’s Defense Forces-TPDF to end Amin’s rule.

The new government claimed to have taken stock of the factors that sustained Amin in power for eight years and top on their list was uniting Ugandan Muslims under one Organization- the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council-UMSC. They claimed that Amin used UMSC to source petrodollars from the Middle East and other Muslim countries.

As a result, top UNLF government officials led by the late President Yusuf Lule resolved to dismantle and outlaw UMSC on grounds that Amin created it to promote his political interests. Almighty Allah states in the Holy Quran that it is, “Him who revealed Islam and it is upon Him to safeguard it”.

Despite the general hostility by UNLF officials towards Islam and Muslims, there were a number of prominent Muslims in their ranks. They included the late Prince Al-Haj Badru Kakungulu of Kibuli, Sheikh Abdu Obeid Kamulegeya, the late Sheikh Ali Senyonga, the late Sheikh Zubair Bakari and the late Haj. Ali Kirunda Kivejinja among many others.

The UNLF Gov’t through the late Paul Muwanga communicated its decision to disband UMSC to Prince Kakungulu at Kibuli. They urged him to communicate the decision to the rest of the Muslims indicating that the government was interested to see that old rival Muslim factions  that existed prior to the formation of UMSC in 1972 are revived.

However, Prince Badru Kakungulu outrightly rejected the idea and pleaded with the authorities to spare UMSC as an institution, reasoning that Amin only helped  Muslims to seat at a round table for the sake of Muslim unity. Convinced with the explanation, government allowed Prince Kakungulu to seat down with his contemporaries to re-organize the UMSC leadership and its structures countrywide.

By Zziwa Ashiraf

UMSC Spokesperson

Anti-Muslim propaganda was used before Amin was removed from power

Edward Rurangaranga

By 1978, Ugandan political dissidents in conjunction with the late Tanzanian President Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere and other Western Powers had scaled up military preparations towards ejecting Gen. Amin from State power.

As part of their war strategy, they approached various Christian establishments especially the mainstream Catholic and Anglican clergy who had long detested the growth of Islam. They viewed the formation of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council as a threat as several members of their flock started embracing Islam. As a result, the Church Leaders resorted instilling hatred and discord among their flock against Islam and Muslims in general.

The Church leaders also authored many  Anti-Islamic literature such as “I love Idi Amin,” penned by the late Rt. Rev Festo Kivengere  then the Bishop of Kigezi Diocese. In this book, Kivengere claimed  that on his royal visit to Uganda in 1972, His Majesty King Feisal Bin Abdu Aziiz Al Soudi of Saudi Arabia presented to President Amin a gift in form of golden sword that was implying the forceful Islamization of all Ugandans”

The hate propaganda tickled down to ordinary masses especially Christians. When Tanzanian forces managed to break through the defense lines of Amin’s soldiers, a unit of Ugandan dissidents under the command of the late Edward Rurangaranga, a prominent UPC Stalwart in Ankole was assigned to take on the western axis covering Districts in Ankole, Toro and Bunyoro.

Rurangaranga made an infamous statement at an Anti-Amin rally in Bushenyi saying Ttwatema Omuti Mwiheho Amashanju” literally meaning that “We have managed to cut the big tree (read Amin) so it is your turn to chop off the branches (Muslims)”. Rurangaranga  argued Christians to revenge on Muslims for the wrong acts committed by Amin.

The masses received the message and organized hit squads targeting their Muslim neighbors and relatives.  That marked the beginning of the indiscriminate killing of Muslims across the country. Children, women, the elderly and disabled became legitimate targets for annihilation.

The current generation of young Muslims will never know the intensity of the fear that engulfed the Muslim Community in 1979. As the war raged on, Many Muslims went in hiding while others fled into exile to neighbouring countries mainly Kenya, Sudan and Zaire, which was renamed the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some then new Muslim reverts renounced Islam  to save dear life.Their properties such  as houses, businesses and farms  were destroyed and  personal belongings looted. Whenever a person was spotted donning any attire related to the Islamic faith such as a cap or veil they were killed on the spot by invading Tanzanian solders. For Members of Nubian community were severally purnished, injured and their  bank accounts frozen under accusation of being inner circle of Amin’s gov’t machinery.

The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council-Headquarters at Old Kampala and its lower structures, subsdiary  Companies and factories were not spared.  The National Mosque then under construction at Old Kampala hill, was left bare  as all building materials such as bags of cement, nails, iron bars in hundred of thousands,  heaps of sand, stones, bricks fell in the hands of looters.

All  office property such as furniture, file cabins, kitchen items like saucepans and platters used at Maulid celebrations and mosque carpets were looted. In some areas,  UMSC district  offices,  residences of council Officials like that of late Sheikh Abdunoor Kaduyu then Kadhi of Ankole were destroyed.

Mosques, schools, in Ankole, Kigezi, Masaka, Bombo in Luwero, Lango, and West Nile were completely razed to the ground. Copies of the Holy Quran were placed in pit latrines for use as toilet papers while some Mosques were turned into bars and pigs slaughtered and roasted in them.

Although Muslims have been faulted on many occasions for being radicals, there is no record showing that they have ever desecrated  any place of worship nor a holy scripture belonging to any other religious denomination like it was done to Muslims in 1979.

UMSC  lost its fleet of Vehicles for instance  A Semi Trailer Lorry Fiat 130 NH Reg. No. UVU 735 and Pickup Stout 2000 Reg. No. UVW 516 were looted.

UMSC Ranches, which are the gist of the historical series, were severally vandalized and all  livestock exceeding 10,000  heads of cattle were also looted. That marked the end of  the UMSC Ranch Scheme Program.

By Zziwa Ashiraf

UMSC Suffers Collateral Damage in Both Lives & Property.

His Eminence, the late Sheikh Maulana Abdu-Razak Matovu (RIP), the Chief Kadhi of Uganda, led the first UMSC Administration (1972-1974). The late Sheikh Ali Saad Kulumba deputized him; the late Hon. Ahmad Sulaiman served as the National Chairman while Hon. Haj Abdu Juma Biramahire was Secretary General.

The late President Iddi Amin evicted them from office following a Commission of inquiry and  replaced them by the 2nd UMSC Administration (1974-1978) led by His Eminence Sheikh Yusuf Sulaiman Matovu as the Chief Mufti. He however, did not have a deputy.

The late Dr. Sheikh Abdunoor Anaasi Kalisa served as his principal Private Secretary, Hon. Capt. Muhammad Juma Marijani, National Chairman, and Hon. Haj. Ahmad Mufanjala, Secretary General, and Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa, Secretary for Religious Affairs. May Allah bless their souls.

In early 1978, it came to President Amin’s attention that Sheikh Yusuf Sulaiman, the Chief Mufti had erred on grounds that he had changed the traditional direction of Muslim prayers (Qiblah) from the Holy Kaaba in Makkah, which was tantamount to a grave sin in Islam.

This necessitated his removal from office. Without wasting time, President Amin acted as expected and forced Sheikh Yusuf Sulaiman Matovo to resign. As a result, by time of Amin’s overthrow from state power, there was no overall National Muslim leader.

UMSC operated under the leadership of the National Chairman, Capt. Muhammad Juma Marijan, Secretary General, Haj. Ahmad Mufanjala, Religious Affairs Secretary, Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa and Sheikh Abdunoor Kalisa, the Principal Private Secretary in the Office of the Chief Mufti.

Zziwa Ashiraf

UMSC Spokesperson

The Collapse of UMSC Ranch Scheme

As part of strengthening its Institutional Structures between 1975 and 1978, UMSC launched a Strategic Plan of sponsoring Muslim students to go abroad for advanced managerial and Islamic theological studies. The students were dispatched to among other countries England, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

For instance, one Abdu Mubi from Masaka joined a UK based University on a fully paid Scholarship that came with monthly allowances paid by UMSC. It was anticipated that such students would return and head the newly  established Subsidiary Companies including the Ranches upon the completion of their studies.

Unfortunately, the plan did not materialize as the majority of the sponsored students didn’t honour the arrangement and went on to pursue their personal adventures after completing their studies.

According to information from the UMSC records, Abdu Mubi last wrote to the then UMSC Hon. Secretary-General the Late Haj. Ahmad Mufangala pleading for an increment of his monthly allowance of £900 (currently about 4.5million) since he had a white girlfriend who was expecting his child.

The available documents show that in 1978 Uganda Ranches Limited successfully secured a grant from the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia totalling Shillings 15 Million for the planned development of the ranches. This included the construction of the perimeter fence, Valley dams, fixing Water channels, drinking troughs and staff quarters and the managers’ residences. However, the above plan hit a snag resulting from the destruction triggered by the liberation War of 1979 that led to the ouster of President, Idi Amin’s government.

Zziwa Ashiraf

UMSC Spokesperson.

UMSC was once one of the biggest Landlords in the country

Gadaffi mosque in Old Kampala

Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) began to operate on solid grounds in 1972 with the full backing of the late President Al-Haji   Idi Amin Dada and his government.  And after the expulsion of Asians, mainly Indians, Gov’t distributed their properties in line with their different religious inclinations.

As a result, the government placed the properties left behind by Asian Muslims in the custody of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council. These comprised Schools, Mosques, Residential Houses, Bungalows, Commercial premises, Warehouses/ stores, factories, Industrial machinery, Sports grounds, Recreation Halls, Clinics and Cemeteries, altogether, numbering over 800 properties.

By 1975, UMSC was one of the biggest Landlords in the country. UMSC also received donations in form of funds because of its close relationship with Muslim Countries and Gulf States. For instance, UMSC operated fixed accounts in the Bank of Uganda with US$ 3 million. It also had an external account with US$ 10 million in the Saudi British Bank in Riyadh, the capital of the royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The strong financial base led the first & second UMSC administrations to initiate mega projects with the advice of the government with the aim of ensuring the sustainability of the Council without depending on donations.

Establishment of Ranches;

Through the line Ministries, the Gov’t rolled out a program of leasing all vacant land in the then abundant cattle corridor in in the countryside. It called upon serious developers to apply to set up the ranches. It was at this time that UMSC picked interest with the hope of exploiting opportunities in large-scale livestock farming with the vision of exporting beef and animals to Gulf States specifically targeting Saudi Arabia being the Center of the annual Muslim Pilgrimage, where several animals are slaughtered.

It was hoped that such projects would generate huge income for the Council. UMSC officially applied to the concerned Ministry for acquisition of Land for the Ranching Scheme.

Dr. Kasenene was instrumental in the establishment of Kawempe Muslim Seconday Sch!

Haji Associate Prof. Dr. Edris Serugo Kasenene

Edris Serugo Kasenene was born on 30th September, 1949 at Kibinda, Byakabanda Sub-county, Koki County, Rakai District.His father is the late Haji Rajabu Mukasa of the Ente (cow) clan, son of Sadiq Kasenene who was the oldest of five sons of Mbajo who had settled and later buried at Bisanje Masaka.

Sadiq Kasenene participated in religious battles between Christians and Muslims that ended at Kalagala in Kabula, Lyantonde District. He later migrated to Koki following his aunt who was the wife of the former Kamuswaga Kabumbuli II of Koki Kingdom which later in 1868 became a traditional county of the 18th counties (Kamuswaga) of Buganda Kingdom.

Edris Sergugo Kasenene’s father Rajabu Mukasa later migrated to Kakoma Village in Lwanda Sub-county, Koki County – Rakai district. He served as Kakoma Village Chief for 15 years and later became the Head of Mbajo SSiga in Ente Clan until his death in 1999.His mother is the late Hajat Joweria Nnakirembeka of Mutima (heart) Clan.

Education:
Edris Kasenene went to Kammengo Muslim Primary School for his primary education, where he attained his Primary School Certificate in 1964. He joined Kakoma and later Serinnya Junior Secondary Schools where he attained his Junior Secondary School Certificate. From there, he joined Agakhan Masaka Senior Secondary School where he attained O’Level School Certificate in 1969.

In 1971, he attended Shimoni Teachers’ College, Kampala where he attained a Grade III Primary Teacher’s Certificate in 1973.
Following the assessment of Shimoni College, Edris Kasenene performed very well and he was retained as a teacher at Shimoni Demonstration School in May 1974. In 1975, he was appointed Headmaster and posted at Kawempe Muslim Primary School.

In 1994, he registered for Uganda Advanced Certificate Examinations as a private candidate and attained two principal passes and at the same time, sat for Mature Age Entrance Examination for Makerere University which he passed well. Accordingly, Makerere University admitted him on government sponsorship for a Bachelor’s Degree Programme in 1994/1995 academic year which he passed well in Second Class Upper Division in 1997. In the same year in August, Makerere University admitted him for a two year Masters programme to pursue a Master of Arts in Educational Management and Administration which he successfully completed in 1999. In January 2000, Makerere University admitted him for a Doctor of Philosophy Degree Programme in Educational Management and Administration which he successfully completed in 2003 and graduated as a PhD Holder in January, 2004.

He also holds a Diploma of Education from Kaliro NTC awarded by Kyambogo University, and an International Certificate in Education Sector Planning from UNESCO Headquarters Paris, France.

Haji Dr. Serugo Kasenene is an associate professor and a Doctor of Philosophy with a doctorate in Educational Management and Administration, a Masters degree in Educational Management and Administration and a Hons. Bachelor of Arts Degree, Upper Division – all from Makerere University, Kampala.

Service to the nation
1.From primary school teacher to a professor

Kasenene the teacher
Following the assessment of Shimoni College, Edris Kasenene performed very well and he was retained as a teacher at Shimoni Demonstration School in May 1974. In 1975, he was appointed Headmaster and posted at Kawempe Muslim Primary School.

After assuming the headship of Kawempe Muslim Primary School, he organized teachers, worked hard and in 1976, he presented 31 candidates for Primary Leaving Examinations. Twenty nine candidates passed in division one and 2 passed in division two.

According to the then Kampala City Council ratings, Kawempe Muslim Primary school was the best performer and was awarded a shield. Since then, the school continued performing very well, thanks to Edris Kasenene’s focused leadership. In most cases it either attained first or second or third positions in KCC schools before he was transferred to Nakivubo Settlement Primary School in 1994.

During his time as the head of Kawempe Muslim Primary School, the school attracted students from the whole country and it was the first Muslim school in Kampala to start a boarding section.

In those years, many of his students were admitted in traditional famous secondary schools such as King’s College Budo, St. Mary’s College Kisubi, Gayaza High School, Namagunga Girl’s School, Kibuli S S, Nabisunsa Girls’ School, etc.

Most of these later became educationists, medical doctors, engineers, lawyers, administrators, social scientists/workers, managers, politicians and security personnel. Notable ones in high profiled positions include among many others;
1.Umaru Kakumba – Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Affairs, Makerere University, Kampala.
2.Umaru Bagampadde – Dean, School of Technology, College of SADET, Makerere University, Kampala.
3.Dr. Badru Muyanja – District Veterinary Officer, Luwero.
4.Hon. Mike Kennedy Sebalu – former MP Busiro East Consitituency, Wkiso District and Member of East African Leagislative Assembly.
5.Muhamud Kateregga – UMSC Executive Committee Member and UNICEF Cordinator.
6.Dr. Isha Nalule – Veterinary Doctor, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Agriculture, Kigali University.
7.Juliet Namuddu – Director of Education, KCCA.
8.Hamza Sendagire – Deputy Headmaster, Nkoms SS, Mbale.
9.Martin Muyingo – Headmaster, Makerere College School, Kampala and a PhD Candidate.
10.Muhamoud Lutale – Headmaster, Namayumba Secondary Secondary School, Wakiso District.
11. Dr. Habibu Kabuye Takuba – Former Deputy Mayor Kampala City Council
12. Nasser Kibirige Takuba – Former LCIII Chairman Kawempe Division.

Kasenene the Associate Professor
While he was a PHD candidate at Makerere University, Haji Kasenene was appointed lecturer at Kampala International University. On completion of his PHD in 2003, he was appointed Associate Dean – Kampala International University, Faculty of Education, Ishaka Campus, Bushenyi District. In 2005, Makerere University appointed him lecturer, in East African School of Higher Education Studies and Development until 2014.

During his service mainly at Makerere University, he taught and supervised to completion the following students among many others;

1.Rehemah Ndagire – Supervisor of Secondary Schools in Makindye Division, KCCA.
2.Kuluthum Nnabunya Muzaata – Education Officer, KCCA and PhD Candidate.
3.Madinah Nnabaggala – Superitendant of Prisons.
5.Hamza Sendagire – Deputy Headteacher, Nkoma Secondary School, Mbale.
6.Mariam Namirimu – Senior Examinations Officer—Uganda National Examinations Board.
7.Zakaria Herayo-Turyaba–Senior Officer in YMCA.
8.Hadijah Nantongo Mugerwa —- Headmistress, Hawa Secondary School, Wakiso District.
9.Yusufu Kato Kawenja – Director of Studies, Masaka Secondary School.
10.Dr. Zahara Farida Kiggundu—Academic Registrar, KIU Nairobi Campus, Kenya.
11.Nuhu Kawooya—NGO Executive Director.
12.Dr. Amina—Academic Registrar, KIU Western Campus, Bushenyi district.

Dr.Kasenene has also served in the following educational Institutions among others;
1. Member, National Examinations Board between 1977 and 2000.
2. University Council Member – IUIU between 1997 and 2001.
3. University Council Member – Mutesa 1 Royal University, Buganda Kingdom between 2015 and 2018.
4. Islamic Call University College – Vice Chairman Islamic Call University College Council. He played an instrumental role in the registration of this university by the Ministry of Education.
Currently, Dr Kasenene is serving as an Associate Professor at School of Postgraduate Studies and Research at Amoud University, Somaliland in the Horn of Africa since 2016 and Advisor to the President of that Institution.

Service to Islam and the Muslim fraternity
Kawempe Muslim Secondary School was established with help of Uganda Government in 1984 as a special gift to Kawempe Muslim Primary School in appreciatin of its excellent performance in both academic and co-curricular activities for over ten years since 1976 under the headship of Edris Serugo Kasenene, then Headmaster.

In 1983, the UPC government came up with a policy of establishing a secondary school in every constituency in Uganda. By the end of that year, the policy was implemented and in 1984 four secondary schools were established in the four constituencies of Kampala namely; Kampala East, Kampala West, Kampala North and Kampala South. Strong UPC leaders would determine the locations of those secondary schools. Accordingly, Aggrey Awori located Luzira Church of Uganda Primary School to house the secondary school for Kampala East Constituency, Erisa Kironde located Kitebi Primary School to house the secondary school for Kampala West Constituency, Jaberi Bidandi Ssali located Kalinabiri Primary School to house the secondary school for Kampala North Constituency which included Kawempe area at that time and since Kampala south had no strong UPC guy, Mr. Olwata Omara the City Education Officer who was a staunch UPC guy and a Catholic, located Gaba Catholic Primary School to house the Secondary School for Kampala South Constituency.

While interacting with the City Education Officer early in 1984, Edris Serugo Kasenene requested him to negotiate a fifth secondary school for Kawempe Muslim Primary School since the idea of starting a private one had failed. The Education Officer agreed with him and started the process of the acquisition of the school.

On 24th February, the Education Officer Mr Olwata Omara came to school with good news that the government had accepted to establish another secondary school in the constituency at Kawempe Muslim School in honour of its continued good performance.That is how Kampala North Constituency got two government secondary schools at the same time.

The first registration of this secondary school was Kawempe Secondary School omitting the word ‘Muslim’.Kasenene returned it to the Ministry of Education and Sports he demanded for the inclusion of the word Muslim arguing that if it was an appreciation for the good performance of Kawempe Muslim Primary School, the name of the Secondary School should tally with that of the primary school which was Kawempe Muslim Primary School.

Mr. Tom Mugoya, the then Chief Inspector of Schools and his Assistant Mr. Vicent Obyero in charge of registration of secondary schools agreed with him to issue a new registration of the newly established government secondary school in the name of, ‘KAWEMPE MUSLIM SECONDARY SCHOOL’ as it is popularly known today.

On 2nd March 1984, the school was inaugurated at Kawempe Muslim Primary School in its main hall by the then Provincial Educational Officer Mr. Steven Maloba assisted by Mr. Olwata Omara, the then City Education Officer.

Kasenene came up with a delegation that approached Juma Zukuuli Sect at Kyadondo Hill in the same area for a temporary accommodation of the newly established school which later became its permanent seat. Following the above information, some people refer to him as the Founder of Kawempe Muslim Secondary School.

Contribution as a UMSC member of General Assembly and Secretary General

In May 1987, Haji Kasenene was elected Member of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) General Assembly representing Rakai District for five years and in July, 1996 he was elected Acting Secretary General of UMSC until December 2000. In the following UMSC General Elections that were concluded in the same month, he was elected substantive UMSC Secretary General to serve a seven-year term ending in December, 2007. He was the first Secretary General since to formally hand over office since 1972 when UMSC was started. He was again re-elected Member of UMSC General Assembly in May, 2013 during General Elections representing Central Region to date.

Processing the UMSC Headquarters Old Kampala Land Title

During his tenure as UMSC Secretary General, he worked on the acquisition of the land title of UMSC Headquarters at Old Kampala Hill. It should be noted that since 1972 when President Idi Amin Dada donated 12 acres of land covering Old Kampala Hill to the the Muslims of Uganda to establish their headquarters; the subsequent UMSC leaders had to work on the acquisition of the land title to that effect. At the beginning of his tenure as Acting Secretary General of UMSC in July 1996, Haji Kasenene discovered that the land title had not been acquired. He accordingly approached Dr. Raphael Kamuhangire, the then Commissioner for Antiquities, Ministry of Trade and Tourism seeking acquisition of the land title.

Dr. Kamuhangire showed him records indicating that Plot 1 Old Kampala hill had been gazeted as a Monument of Captain Lugard at the beginning of the last century and that it had to be degazeted to change its use for another purpose.

He started the process and worked closely with the officials of that Ministry including Dr. Kamuhangire. Eventually in 1998 H. E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni wrote to the Minister of Lands directing that UMSC should be given a Land Title of 10 acres instead of 12 as originally stated. However, during process the Captain Lugard Monument and the Flag Spot which had been encircled by the mosque structure became obstacles to the title acquisition.

To solve the problem, as the Secretary General of UMSC, he caused a meeting which sat at the venue that included the then ministers; Hon. Francis Ayume – Minister of Lands, Water and Minerals, Hon. Med Kaggwa – Minister of Presidency and Hon. Moses Ali – Minister of Trade and Tourism to discuss the issue of the monument.

About the issue of the land title, Dr. Kasenene states;
“In that meeting it was resolved to relocate the monument and the flag spot on the same. The resolution was forwarded to the President who had sanctioned the acquisition of the land title by UMSC on that hill for consent. In his response, the President endorsed the relocation of the Captain Lugard House and the flag spot to the lower part of Old Kampala Hill in the two acres to allow smooth construction of the National Mosque since a national mosque was more important than the monument. In the same letter, the President said that the original architectural structure and bricks should be maintained during its relocation showing its originality.
When it came to the question of who would relocate the Lugard House, the Ministry of Trade and Tourism demanded that UMSC should meet the cost of relocating that house and should show commitment to that effect to facilitate the acquisition of the title. After realizing that the relocation of Lugard House was going to be the obstacle of getting the title, the Secretary General wrote of commitment to that effect.
After that commitment, Ministry of Trade, and Tourism accepted to release the land and thereby issued a letter releasing that land to be degazeted for another usage as the law establishes. Short of that, UMSC would not get the land title for that land.
When the Leader of Great Jamahiria of Libya accepted to complete the National Mosque, Haji Kasenene presented the commitment letter of relocating the Lugard House to the Libyan Engineers led by Dr. Muhammad Shukur. They commended his decision which paved way to get the land title and they immediately started the relocation construction work. The Lugard House was reconstructed keeping its originality as directed by the President and was duly handed over to the President’s Office even before the National Mosque was started”.

Construction of the National Mosque

In July 5th 2002, Dr. Kasenene as the Secretary General was among the five man delegation led by H E the Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje which went to meet the Leader of Libya Col Muammar Gadhafi requesting him to complete the National Mosque which had stalled since 1974. Other members included late Sheikh Ahamada Mukasa, Sheikh Habibu Kagimu and Prof. A. Mukwanason Hyuha.
Dr. Kasenene says that;
“We were received by officials of World Muslim Call Society who later introduced us the next day to Col Muammar Gadhafi in his home city of Sirite. After some discussion with the Leader, he accepted to complete the National Mosque and sent us to meet his officials led by Dr Sharif in Tripoli for further discussions and modalities. In Tripoli, Dr Sharif told us that the Leader had designated a team of engineers led by Dr. Shukri who should come with us to assess the project which was under the hands of Concorp Company. It was agreed that vacant site should be handed over to the Libyan engineers from Muslim World Call Society. The Libyan engineers assessed the project and promised to come back to be handed over the vacant site.

This meant that UMSC had to remove Concorp from the site. I led the removal of Concorp and requested Kiwagama Quantity Surveyers of the project to give UMSC a situational Report. I travelled to Nairobi to meet Govan Associates Actecture and Calbro Engineers of the same project to ask them to give UMSC relevant documents of that effect. Also, UMSC contracted Seka Associates and an independent Engineering Firm to assess the stalled project whether it could be continued. In November, 2002 the Mufti of Uganda H.E Sheikh Shaban Mubaje handed the project to the Libyan Engineers. Later, the Libyan Engineers discovered that the work done on the project was shoddy and thus it was condemned. It was removed and a new structure as it stands now was planned. The removal of the stalled structure was met with stiff resistance from a cross section of Muslims. However, Members of the UMSC management stood their ground and work of the new structure went ahead” Dr. Kasenene narrates.

Organising UMSC General Elections of 2000
As The Secretary General, Haji Kasenene played a pivotal role in mobilising all Muslims to participate in the UMSC General Elections of 2000 in which all Muslim groups participated, culminating into the election of Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje as the universally recognised Mufti of Uganda.

Kasenene the husband
Haji Dr. Kasenene is married with three wives namely;
1.Hajat Rehema Nambalirwa – holder of a Bachelor of Education Degree from Makerere University and a former Principal of Kabukunge Primary Teachers’ College, Masaka. She is currently a lecturer at Buganda Royal Institute, Mengo.
2. Ms. Janat Nabuuza holder of a Bachelor of Statistics and Applied Economics Degree from Makerere University and a self-employed.
3.Hajat Mastula Namajjwe – holder of a Bachelor of Arts with Education Degree, a Master of Education Degree all from Makerere University and, a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from Uganda Management Institute. She is currently serving as a Deputy Head Mistress at Nabisunsa Girls School.

Kasenene the father
Haji Dr. Kasenene is blessed with 14 children—5 boys and 9 girls. He has educated them as follows;
1. Musa Musazi holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Makerere University and a Masters in Business Administration from ESAMI. He is the Operational Director of Google, Uganda.
2. Sophia Nakate holds a Bachelor of Science in Surveying and has just completed her Masters in Geographic Information Systems (GES) both from Makerere University. She a surveying officer in KCCA.
3. Amina Nassazi holds a Bachelor of Science in Quantity Surveying from Makerere University, and currently undertaking a Master of Science in Construction management in Nairobi University, Kenya.
4. Shafik Baziwe holds a Bachelor of Science in land Economics from Makerere University and works as a valuer in KCCA.
5. Madina Nambajo holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Makerere University. He works with a construction company in Kampala.
6. Sharifah Nanziri holds a Bachelor of Statistics and Applied Economics from Makerere University, and works with Uganda Bureau of Statistics.
7. Abubaker Serugo holds a Bachelors in Computer Science from KIU and he is self-employed.
8. Hadijah Nabawanuka holds a Bachelor of Entrepreneurship and small scale Management from MUBS, Makerere University, and is self-employed.
9. Saidat Kabejja holds a Bachelor of Librarianship and information Science from Makerere University, Kampala and undergoing a Master of information Science in the same University.
10. Rehemah Nakabikwa holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Manipal University, India.
11. Faridah Nalugo holds a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Finance from Makerere University. She is working in Barclays Bank in London, UK and undertaking a Master of Busness in Finance in London.
12. Muhammad Sekyanzi holds a Diploma in Graphics from MTAC.
13. Asma’a Kasenene is a 3rd year undergraduate Pharmacy student at Makerere University.
14. Ilham Kasenene is currently at Kings College Budo in S1.

Conclusion:
I think you have read all the contributions Dr. Kasenene has rendered to Islam and the Muslim fraternity in Uganda, that is as an educationist, an educator, acquisition of the UMSC Headquarters land title, construction of the national Mosque, education of his children and organising universal elections; no wonder qualifies him to be a Muslim hero though unsung.

The Muslim Onion farmer who built a school at Kabiji

Musa Mukasa Katungulu was born in 1881 in Birongo – Singo

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba

Musa Mukasa Katungulu was born in 1881 in Birongo – Singo

His father was Badiru Muganga of Njonge clan. His mother was Mwajibu from Masaka. She was a sister to Abdallah Jawaali the father of Hajji Muhammad Kitatta of Kyanjo and Idi Basajjabalaba of Mbarara.

The day Musa Mukasa was born was the day on which his father Muganga died after being attacked by a wild animal while hunting. He was thus named Musa Mukasa ‘Kitezi’ in respect of his father’s passion for hunting.

Childhood

Following the death of his father, Musa Mukasa was taken by Muwalimu Musa Nkatusi to Kanywa from where he learnt Islam and became a very good Muadhin.

When Musa became a youth, his elder brother Laaliyo who was living in Luwawulo – Kalisizo wanted to take him away from Muwalimu Musa Nkatusi. However, Muwalimu Nkatusi refused to let go of Musa Mukasa fearing that if he stayed with Laaliyo who was a none Muslim, he would abandon Islam.

Laaliyo took the matter to Buwunga Sub-County Chief who ruled that Musa Mukasa should go with his brother.

Laaliyo took Musa to Serinya in Kibinge where he introduced him to more three brothers of him. These were; Amuli, Kasibaganye and Eleneewo.

Laaliyo convened a meeting of all the brothers and resolved that they would not make him leave Islam. This was in respect of his father who was a Muslim. He took him to Prince Nuhu Mbogo and briefed him about Musa Mukasa’s situation. Prince Mbogo put Musa Mukasa under his care. While under the Prince, Musa had the opportunity to study Islam. This is where he met Muwalimu Abdallah Zaake Jamba who taught him the Quran in 1907.

When Zayidi Kamulali the Muwalimu to the Kabaka’s Chief Amuli Kakembo of Mbuliire started his own family, the chief needed another Muwalimu/Imam.

He went back to Prince Mbogo and requested him for a new personal Imam/Muwalimu.

The Prince gave him Musa Mukasa, who went to Mbuliire to serve Chief Amuli Kakembo as a family Imam.

While in Mbuliire, Musa met Muwalimu Saadi Musoke of Kawoko and Muwalimu Asumani Byayi of Kibengo.

Amuli Kakembo gave Musa a large piece of land on which he grew onions (obutungulu), which he used to sell to Indians. This earned him the name ‘Katungulu’.

In Mbuliire, Musa together with Nyamayaalwo established a big Madarasa where he taught; Asumani Kasujja (the father of Haji Mahabuuba Ssemakalu, Aziz Kasuja, Faazili Kasuja etc) and Twayibu Ssemwanga among others.

Musa became very rich from onion farming and migrated to Kabigi where he had bought a piece of land.

He built a school in Kabigi in 1935. Many prominent Sheikhs, Mullahs (bawalimu) and many Muslims went through this school. It did a lot in propagating Islam and empowering Muslims.

Among those who went through Muwalimu Musa Mukasa’s school are;

· Sheikh Muhammad Ssemakula – former acting Mufti of Uganda

· Sheikh Twaibu Mukuye – Former Deputy Mufti of Uganda

· Sheikh Ali Kivumbi – Former Deputy Mufti of Uganda

· Sheikh Musa Abdul Hamiid Mukasa

· Sheikh Habiibu Kagimu – prominent business personality

· SheikhTwaha Luyimbaazi Katungulu

· Sheikh Hamiidu Kawooya

· Sheikh Abdunoor Ddamulira

· Shiekh Hamiidu Sserwadda

· Sheikh Muhammad Ndugga

· Sheikh Abdul Wahiidi Musisi

· Sheikh Haamidu Zaamunyu

· Sheikh Muhamuudu Kigozi

· Sheikh Nasser Naserenga

· Sheikh Ibrahim Ssebbaga

· Haji Asumani Jjunju etc

Musa Mukasa also bought land in different places and donated it to needy Muslims and non Muslims. For example he bought a mile of land in Kyangabatanyi which he used to give to Muslim converts. Each person used to get between 5 to 10 acres.

He educated his children and grand children who have also contributed a lot to Islam in Uganda.

His grand children include Shk. Ali Kivumbi, Shk. Yusuf Ssonko Katungulu, Abdu Swamadu Kaboggoza and Shk. Musa Abdul Hamiid Katungulu among others.

Musa Mukasa died on October 13th 1971 at the age of 90. He fathered 60 children, and at the time of his death, 32 were still alive.

Muwalimu Musa Mukasa Katungulu did not only convert many into Islam; he donated free land to the converts and taught them Islam, thereby fulfilling Surat Bakara 2:3 of the Holy Quran in which Allah praises those who give to charity.

In Islam, education or seeking knowledge is paramount. By learning Islam himself and teaching it to many people including his own children and grand children who eventually became very prominent personalities in Islam and the entire nation, Muwalimu Musa Mukasa fulfilled Surat Al Alaq 96:1 of the Holy Quran in which Allah commanded Prophet Muhammad PBUH to read.

This makes him a Muslim hero though unsung.

SHEIKH MUGENYASOOKA DESERVES A MEDAL!

BY HAJJI AHMED KATEREGA VIA THE UMBS FORUM

It is 24 years since the death of Sheikh Haji Zaid Kateregga Mugenyasooka. He died at Kakungulu Memorial Ward, Kibuli Muslim Hospital in the early hours of June 1st 1994, and was buried at Bukoto in the afternoon.He died of natural causes aging 94 years.

Sheikh Zaid Mugenyasooka was President General Africa Muslim Community from 1948 uo to 1972 when Uganda Muslim Supreme Council was formed. He was appointed Regional Qadhi Buganda Region from 1972 up to 1974. In December 1979, he revived AMC Bukoto Nateete and remained its President General until his death.
Sheikh Zaid Kateregga was born in 1900 at Bukesa village in Ngando Sub County, Butambala County now district. His father was Prince Asumani Mawanda Gunsiriiza Tabula, a Mujungute.His mother was Nakibuuka of Mamba clan.

Prior to religious wars of late 1880s and early 1890s, Asumani Mawanda, son of Luzige lived at Kisawo in Bukulula Sub County, now Kalungu District, then Buddu County. He was a son of Prince Gubya who also lived at the same place, with his brother Prince Diba.

Diba, produced Makaato, who became the lineage leader (omukulu w’olunyiriri) under sub clan leader (Omukulu w’omutuba) Kateregga luguma at Bukakkata Buddu0. Kateregga was the first son of King Wunyi l, whose palace and tomb at Kibulala in Singo now present day Kiboga District, who was paternal uncle and step father of Kabaka Kimera.

Makaato produced Nyansi Bulenzi Kasajja (by then as a result of Junju and Ssemakokkiro wars, Kateregga Luguma princes at Bukakkata, had hidden in Mpologoma, Ngabi and Mutima clans) , who became a page at Kabaka Mwanga’s palace at Mmengo, where he was converted to Roman Catholicism, and participated in a war of capturing him after enthroning his son Daudi Chwa in 1897. The battle was at Kabuwoko in Buddu, and he crossed to Bwera now Mawogola, Buweekula into Bunyoro when he joined forces with his brother, Omukama Kabalega of Bunyoro and both were catured in Lango and exiled in Seychelles Islands.
Nyansi Kasajja was appointed a Muluka chief of Miyenje Parish covering present day Mawogola North constituency, from 1900 to until his death in 1939, and was given a Mailo estate at Nnambiriizi, which was the capital of Bwera now Mawogola.

Mawanda converted to Islam and from Kijungute, he settled at Bukesa in Butambala, where a Mailo estate beneficiary gave him a significant portion.

Sheikh Mugenyasooka passed through different sheikhs as his tutors including his master Sheikh Abdullah Ssekimwanyi, the first Ugandan Muslim to perform Hadj in 1920.His other instructor was Sheikh Semawempe. He also trained at Kyowe in Entebbe.

He returned to Ngando in Butambala, where land was given to him to build a mosque which is still standing today. Additionaly a Quran school was also built at Bukesa, which has trained many sheikhs and mwalimus.

During his second pilgrimage to Mecca in early 40s, Sheikh Ssekimwanyi went with Mugenyasooka as his secretary, and when they returned, soon Ssekimwanyi passed on and was replaced by Sheikh Nsambu.
One of the causes for the division of Muslims between Juma Sect Bukoto Nateete and Juma and Zukuri Sect Kyaddondo was praying Zukuli (daily noon prayer0 on Friday in addition to the Juma prayer. After the death of Ssekimwanyi, KibulI dropped praying Dhuhuri on Friday .According to Prince Badru Kakungu and Prof. AB Kasozi, Sheikh Islam, Shuaib Ssemakula had seen Ssekimwanyi as a threat, and after his death he accepted his reforms. Nsambu led a unity Juma at Kibuli.

But Bukoto had others, like opposing mataali drums, fasting depending on the Hijara lunar calendar other than sighting the new moon, translating Khutubah into Luganda and other local languages.
So they elected a young Mugenyasooka at 48 as a caretaker President General, who started from where Ssekimwanyi had stopped and even got a legal advisor Ben Kiwanuka, who was DP President General, and Mugenyasooka became the first Muslim to join DP in 1956.In 1962, he was persecuted by Kabaka Yekka fanatics, and joined his brother Prince Zuliarabi Iddi Ddungu Mukasa Kimera at Nnambiriizi in Mawogola where they built a mosque, a Qur’an school and a UMEA / secular primary school.

The Protectorate and Buganda Government had given 10 sq.miles to Muslims, Zukuri Sect was given six and Bukoto Nateete, four and hills like Nabisunsa, Kisaasi, Wandegeya, Aga Khan, Clock Tower , in Kampala, Bukyolo , Kaddugala, Kabukunge, Nakasoga, Mbuulire, Katimba, Nnamambiriizi in Masaka, kITAGOBWA, bUTAWUKA, IN bUTAMBALA,belonged to Bukoto Nateete, though some was leased to Muslim Sunni Association and Aga Khan Foundation, but of course, in the process, some grabbed but not by Mugenyasooka.
In 1982, Majlisul Ullama (College of Sheikhs) embraced translating of Khutuba in Luganda after Sheikh Abdarazak Matovu, the first Chief Qadhi of Uganda and later mufti successfully translated the Holy Qur’an into Luganda, and this made Bukoto Nateete proud as the pioneers.

Mugenyasooka trained many sheikhs including his own sons; Sheikh Haruna Ssuuna Mugenyasooka, his first son and heir, now Vice President General Africa Muslim Community deputy to Sheikh Abdul Obeid Kamulegeya, President General and successor to Mugenyasooka in 1994, the late Sheikh Muhammad Bulemnzi Kateregga Mugenyasooka , who passed on, on and who was Director of Bukesa Islamic Primary School. Sheikh Asumani Ndawula Mugenyasooka, works with Uganda Revenue Authoroty but also Deputy Imam, Bukoto mosque.

He also trained his nephew, the late Sheikh Abaas Kimera, my father, who was based at Nnambiriizi in Mawogola, and was Masaka District Imaam.Daughter, Princess Zaitun Nassuwa Zaawedde, is a teacher at Kibuli Secondary School.

At a personal level, he introduced me to the late James Ashe Ssekajja, a veteran journalist working with Taifa Empya, who took me to the late Kezekia Sseggwanga Musisi, who recommended me to Ngabo Editor Maurice Luzyimbazi Ssekawungu, and l started working as a Reporter for Ngabo/The Star newspapers in 1990.
Inna Lillaahi wa inna ilaihi raj’una.

THE UNSUNG MUSLIM HEROES: HAJJI SALONGO HASSAN KIBIRIGE(PART ONE)

Hajji Kibirige

By Hajji Nsereko Mutumba

Hajji Salongo Hassan Kibirige was born on November 18th 1918 at Kayini in Kasawo – Gombolola Mutuba 6 (Sub County), Ssaza Kyaggwe (County) current Mukono District.

His parents were; Haji Musa Kakande Magala, a prominent landlord in the areas of Kawempe and Bwaise who belonged to the Ngeye clan and Princess Fatuma Kyobula.

His father and mother died when he was 6 and 8 years old respectively. He had one brother and two sisters.

Education:
Hassan Kibirige never acquired secular education. He was however well grounded in Islamic knowledge which he learnt from prominent clerics like Sheikh Kassim Ssemwanje and Sheikh Islam Kulumba among others. He first acquired Islamic lessons in Nakanyonyi (Naggalama).
Despite the fact that he never acquired formal secular education, he knew its importance and educated all his children to university levels. However, before he passed on, he had learnt some English from Prof. Umar Kasule, one of his sons.

Marriage:
In 1943, he married his first wife Hamiida Nalweyiso (the late) of Lugave clan. He nicknamed her ‘Kabiite’ meaning the dear one.
He later married Asiyati Nanziri (the late), Mayimuna Nabagereka and Jane Nannozi.

Children:
Haji Kibirige had 22 children, 13 daughters and 9 sons plus many grand children including Brother Abbey Semuwemba, the founder of the popular Uganda at Heart and Uganda Muslim Brothers and Sisters online platforms.

Thirteen of his children are medical doctors while others have master’s degrees and PHDs in various disciplines. In total, there are over 70 degree holders among his off springs i.e. children, grandchildren and great grand children).

HAJI KIBIRIGE THE PARENT TEACHER
Haji Kibirige never took his children to Kindergarten. He instead used this period to groom his children at especially in morals, hard work and Islamic/Quran studies. From home, they went straight to Primary one. He however never took his children to boarding schools until they reached the secondary level.

He visited his children both in local and foreign schools to check on their progress and to moral ‘boost them’. As a result, he visited several countries including United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada and several Arab Countries.

THE LIGHT SIDE OF HAJI KIBIRIGE
In addition to being a strict disciplinarian, Haji Kibirige was a jovial person with a sense of humour. His grandchildren always jumped at an opportunity to spend time with him.

His strongest weapon against indiscipline was constant reference to the Holy Quran and Hadith. His cane rarely came out.

He enjoyed sweet things and according to those who were close to him, he was a great lover of ice cream and sweet foods like sweet potatoes, Pumpkins, sweet bananas, Gonja and pawpaws among others.
He enjoyed sharing meals with others and he was very hospitable to visitors. As a result, his home was always full of life.

HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO ISLAM/SOCIETY

Haji Kibirige teamed up with his colleague Ali Musisi and they established Kamuli Muslim Primary School. When the school gained prominence with Haji Kibirige as the Chairman PTA, he approached the then Senior Education Officer Haji Ramadhan Gava (the late) from the Ministry of Education and requested for a secondary school. His request was granted.

He was one of those who started Seguya Memorial Technical School in Bugerere. He was involved in the planning, construction and its opening in 1989.

Haji Kibirige played a key role in the establishment of Kangulumira Coffee growers in Kisega Bugerere. When the cooperative was in place, he was requested by his fellow directors to serve as a factory Manager. He later rose to the position of Managing Director, a position he served for 35 years.

He served as a PTA member for Kibuli Senior Secondary School and later as the Chairman PTA.

In 1967-70, Haji Kibirige served as Owe Ssaza Kasujju in Busujju County.

He also served as Owe Ssaza Luwekula in Mubende country from 1970-73.

Haji Kibirige also served as a Gombolola (Sub County) Chief for Bulera in Musaale – Singo.

He once served King Mutesa II’s Ssaza (County) council representative in Nabweru Sub-county; Kyadondo County.

He was one of those given the responsibility to look after the children and properties of Haji Musa Kasule of Wandegeya.

HAJI KIBIRIGE A BUSINESSMAN

Cattle Trader
Haji Kibirige began as a cattle trader. He used to buy cows from Nakasongola and sold them in Kampala. He however gave up trading from Nakasongola after one of the cows he had bought knocked him and left him with serious injuries. He resorted to buying cows from around Kampala and selling them to abattoirs.

Farmer
Haji Kibirige was a very successful farmer. In the 1960s, he bought a large piece of land in Bugerere (over 80 acres). He grew coffee, Cotton, bananas and pineapples. By the time of his passing, he had 10 acres of eucalyptus trees. In 2009, he planted 200 eucalyptus trees.
He once had a farm of 200 Frisian cows and 600 local cows. His neighbours nicknamed him ‘mulaalo’ meaning a cattle keeper.

Transport Business
Haji Kibirige had buses that operated in Kayunga, Kangulumira in Bugerere and Jinja in Busoga. He later bought Lorries that were used by the Coffee Growers Union.

He had several other vehicles but these were strictly for business. He used public means for most of his travels. He however preferred the front seat whenever he opted for a ride in his cars so that he could give instructions to whoever was driving.
In all his businesses, he employed many people and supported many Islamic projects.
Haji Kibirige had buildings in Kawempe, Kisenyi, Bwaise and Mengo.

Leisure
During his leisure time, Haji Kibirige used to go hunting for Guineafowls (enkofu).

He stopped hunting after some time but he kept his hunting guns and paid for their licenses until his death.

Politics
Haji Kibirige was not a fun of politics but being a rich and prominent figure, he never escaped the torment of dirty politics. He lost some of his children and he was almost killed together with his wife in 1995 under suspicious circumstances.

Dedication to Islam
Haji Kibirige was highly dedicated to his religion. He established regular prayers, paid zakat, gave swadaka, performed Hajji, recited the Quran and prayed for the dead on a regular basis. He contributed generously to Islamic causes both materially and morally.

Tribute from One of his Grand Children
Brother Abbey Semuwemba started living with Haji Hassan Kibirige when he was 7 months old, following the death of his father. He described him as follows;
“This man loved almost everybody in his family and cared for all those he met in his life. Though I was nicknamed ‘Sukali wa Haji’ (Haji Kibirige’s sugar) by our grand mum, I believe Haji loved all of us equally. I only had a special connection with him because I saw him as my model in everything”.

“May Allah forgive him for whatever went wrong, bless him with light and grant him paradise. To Allah we come and to him we return” Concluded Haji Hassan Kibirige’s cherished grandson Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba.

Haji Kibirige’s friends
He had many friends but among them, the following were very special;

Al Haji Musa Kasule of Wandegeya
Bumaali Kasule – his uncle who took care of him following the death of his father Haji Musa Kakande.
Prince Badru Kakungulu – gave him a piece of land after excelling in Quran competitions.
Eriasafi Kiguba – the one who advised Haji Kibirige to take his children to secular schools (Amasomero gabazungu).

Eng. Dr. Badru Kiggundu the E.C Chairperson and the late Haji Sulaiman Kiggundu the Former Governor Bank of Uganda and Founder of Greenland Bank hold special position in the Kibirige family having married Hajat Nuliat Babirye and Hajat Rehmah Kibirige Kiggundu respectively – both daughters to Haji Kibirige. Other prominent in-laws to the Kibirige family are Haji Abbas Kawaase the long serving headmaster of Kibuli S.S who married Sophia Kibirige and Haji Juma Sebuliba of Union who married Lukiya Kibirige.

In conclusion, we see Haji Hassan Kibirige as an educational zealot, an activist who loved his King, a patriot who loved and cherished his nation, a disciplinarian who cared for the welfare of his family and finally an accomplished revolutionary.

So thumbs up for Haji – I mean brother Abbey Semuwemba for having a heroic Grandfather. Hon. Haji Basaalirwa, don’t get me wrong, I do not mean the other thumb of.

Indeed Haji Hassan Kibirige is a hero though unsung.

Wait for part two.

Remembering Sheikh Asumani Rwakaikara Kiribedda Adyeeri: the father to Hon. Hood Katuramu and Haji Ishaqa Magezi

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba

Sheikh Asumani Kiribedda Adyeeri was born in 1903 at Rwano, Bunyangabu County – present day Kabarole District. His birthplace was and is still is the kingdom of Tooro.

He was the son of Mubuya. Mubuya was the son of Kahiigwa. Kahiigwa was the son of Kizige. Kizige was the son of Ndyanabo and Ndyanabo was the son of Rubongonya. He belonged to Baranzi clan.

His mother was Kabulingeya.

He had seven siblings; Juma Munyonyi, Yunus Mukunya, Byabanyagi, Byefeera Afuwa, Mariam, Zainab Bujune and Bagada.

At the time of his death on 19th April 1978, he had 30 children; 20 male and 12 female. He was survived by three widows; Asia Nakatte, Hairat Nalumansi and Yudaya Banura Nalongo. The number of his off springs including children, grandchildren and grand grandchildren, is more than 200.

His eldest child now deceased was Ibrahim Nduuru and the youngest was Abdu-Swamad Ruhinda. He was a father to two members of parliament namely late Haji Abbas Balinda and Hon. Hood Katuramu. Haji Abbas Balinda was the speaker of the Ishengyero of Ankole (Parliament). Also among his children is the retired senior civil servant Haji Ishaqa Magezi who rose through the ranks and reached the level of Acting Provincial Governor in the 1970s. He retired at the rank of Undersecretary in the government of Uganda. He also served as the Chairperson UMSC Electoral Commission.

Conversion to Islam

Sheikh Kiribedda’s was born a non-Muslim. And indeed there are many surviving non – Muslim relatives of Shk. Kiribedda.

Kiribedda and all his immediate siblings and other close relatives converted to Islam in their infancy. Kiribedda’s conversion to Islam is closely associated with one man Ali Bikwalira popularly known as Kimunyiine. Kimunyiine is known to have fled from Muyenga Kampala through Bunyoro, Tooro and eventually settled and died in Kabwohe Sheema District. His grave is located in the vicinity of Kabwohe main Mosque.

Sheikh Kiribedda was buried in this same grave yard.

During his flight, Bikwalira met Byefeera Afuwa (BIBI) – Shk. Kiribedda’s elder sister and married her. On marrying Kiribedda’s sister, Bikwalira became a Muslim.

It was easy for him to embrace Islam because he associated with the Muslims who had fled to Bunyoro who taught him basic Islamic knowledge.

Bikwalira was a charismatic trader who moved many places doubling as a Muwalimu (Islamic Teacher). This made him fairly popular in the then Ankole and Tooro regions.

In Kabwohe, there was a Muwalimu called Abdallah Kuwala who was retiring back to his place of origin (Buganda). There was a search for his replacement and Bikwalira came in as the most suitable replacement thereby settling in Kabwohe.

On settling in Kabwohe with her husband, AfuwaByefeera invited her siblings who all came and converted to Islam. She did not produce any children so she brought her sister and cousin sister to join her as co-wives in her husband’s home.

This had the effect of cementing the bond between the Kamunyiine and Kiribedda families.

Rwakaikara a.k.aKiribedda was the youngest of the siblings of Afuwa. It is said that at the time he migrated Rwakaikara (Kiribedda) was carried on the back owing to his young age.

Kimunyiine spotted, groomed and schooled him in Islamic teachings. He was named Kiribedda in anticipation that one day, he would become a man to reckon with. He further sent him to study in a Madrasa run by Shk. Juma Kyejo.

On return from the Madrasa, Kamunyiine induced him into the leadership roles and eventually, when Kimunyiine died, it was not difficult for him to take over the leadership mantle.

His Leadership Role

Sheikh Kiribedda’s debut in leadership came when Kimunyiine ceded his “Obuwalimu” (Muslim leadership title) to him even before he died.

At that time, Kabwohe had become an important Muslim center. Kiribedda later rose to ‘Omukuluw’Etwale’ (County Sheikh) and eventually the District Kadhi.

The earlier period of the 20th century was characterized by the Juma-Zukuli divisions among Muslims. Sheikh Kiribedda belonged to the Juma sect and was the de facto leader or kadhi with jurisdiction over Ankole and Kigezi.

His counterpart for the Juma Zukuli sect was Shk. Ahmad Male. By this time, Shk. Kiribedda had improved his knowledge of Islam through close association with leading Muslim clerics of the Juma sect; notably Abdallah Sekimwanyi, Ahmad Nsambu, Zaid MugenyiAsooka and Obeid Lutale.

In order to consolidate and assert his position, he sent his son Abbas Balinda to be taught by Shk. Zaid Mugenyi Asooka in Ngando Butambala. Later on however, at the behest of ow’Ekitinisa KesiNganwa who was heading Kabwohe Church of Uganda Primary School, he was called back to embark on secular education.

In 1943, Shk. Kiribedda performed his first Hajj. He and Shk. Male were among the 60 people who compromised the 10th cohort of people from Uganda to go for Pilgrimage. The two were the first Muslims to perform Hajj in the Ankole region.

In 1968, Shk. Kiribedda performed his second Hajj. His return was graced with the presence of Shk. Mukulu – Swaib Semakula the then Mufti of Uganda and high profile Shiekhs like Shk. Obeid Lutale, Shk. Abdulkadir Mbogo and Shk. Muhammad Mukongo among others.

Sheikh Asumani Kiribedda Adyeeri

Championing of Muslim Education

Sheikh Kiribedda was a champion of Muslim education. Among his most important accomplishments is the establishment of Kabwohe Muslim School which was the first formal educational institution in Ankole.

He brought in Shk. Sulaiman Ruhinda the first post UMSC District Kadhi of Ankole in 1942 as the first teacher. For the first time, this was the school that catered for both Islamic religious education and secular education. Such was his passion for the school whose first teachers were accommodated in his own house.

The school became government aided in 1946. The other schools started by Shk. Kiribedda include Rugyenda in Bunyaruguru, Kyarubambura in Bukanga (Isingiro) and Nyamitanga in Mbarara.

Kyarubambura School alone has produced a long list of prominent Ugandans who include the author of Unsung Muslim Heroes Haji Nsereko Mutumba, the Rector IUIU Dr. Ahmad Sengendo Dr. Asumani Lukwago PS Ministry of Health, H.E Murtadha Katende Ugandan Ambassador in Ethiopia, Al Haji Obura Kasumba Deputy Principal Bilal Islamic Institute etc.

Owing to his pioneer role in the establishment of Muslim Schools, he earned himself the position of supervisor of Muslim Schools until he was replaced at his own request by AbdallahLubwama and later his own son Abbas Balinda Akiiki.

Another important accomplishment of Shk. Kiribedda as a leader relates to the land where the main Mosque in Kabwohe and the school stand.

Initially, the land was part of the Mailo land belonging to Rukumbyana. There were suggestions that the Mosque should be relocated elsewhere. Sheikh Kiribedda protested to the colonial government and a decision was made that this land belonged to the Muslims and a part of this land was carved out officially designated as Muslim land.

One occupation that dominated the like of Shk. Kiribedda was conducting Duwas. He was renowned for this. He travelled to many places in western Uganda and Buganda where he took part in Duwas.

Through the Duwas, he made a lot of friends and acquaintances. Shiekh Hatwib Mukuluwakika; the Acting Deputy Mufti of Uganda and a son to Shk. Kiribedda’s niece Joweria described Shk. Kiribedda as a guest in his own home. This was due to the long time that he used to spend away from home. His return was always much anticipated and invited some kind of celebration.

He was passionate about Duwas. At the time was he was really ill and perhaps convinced that his time to pass on had come, he asked his children to take him to his friend Shk. Nsambu for Duwa. His wish was granted and he was driven all the way from Kabwohe in Ankole to Nateete in Kampala. Sheikh Nsambu prayed for him and he was then taken to Mulago Hospital where he died later in the night.

Friends of Shk. Kiribedda

In his life, Shk. Kiribedda had many friends and acquaintances. The first one was Ali Kimunyiine in whose hands the young Rwakaikara embraced Islam and learnt the very first Islamic lessons. He groomed him and inducted him into a leadership role in the Muslim hierarchy.

Another one was Aramanzane Byarubatsika father to Shk. AbdunoorKaduyu. The two lived together as students of Kimunyiine and their friendship endured until the death of Byarubatsika.

Commenting on their relationship, Shk. Kaduyu said that at no time did he imagine that Kiribedda was not his own father. Others were his “brother” Ali Sebakaaki, Hussein Kyofatogabye, Shk. Juma Kyejo who was one of his teachers, Shk. Islam Ahmad Nsambu, Shk. Mutyaba, Shk. Obeid Lutale, Shk. Zaid Mugenyi Asooka, Shk. Abdallah Sekimwanyi, Shk. Swaib Semakula (Shk. Mukulu), Kesi Nganwa, Haji Musa Kasule of Wandegeya and Haji Ahmad Kamya.

In conclusion, Sheikh Kiribedda fulfilled Allah’s Command in the Holy Quran 28:77 which says;

“But seek with the wealth which Allah has bestowed on thee, the home of the hereafter, not forget thy position in this world, but do thou good as Allah has been Good to thee and seek not occasions for mischief in the land, for Allah loves not those who do mischief”.

“Since real life is possible only through knowledge, those who neglect learning and teaching are considered “dead” even though they are still alive. For we were created to learn and to communicate what we have learned to others” Fethullah Gulen.

Basing on the above Verse and quotation, Sheikh Kiribedda is a man who lived his life; he contributed emensely to his religion Islam and likewise contributed greatly to his nation.

He produced many Sheikhs as well as teachers, politicians, civil servants and business men.

He made useful friends both in Islam, politics, civil service and traditional leaders.

He propagated Islam in every part of Uganda and beyond Uganda.

After reading about this noble Sheikh, where do you put him? Is he not a hero though unsung?

The writer is the Public Relations Officer of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council. He can be reached on:

Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504

Hajat Azena Kitimbo Balunywa:Sister to Kivejinja and wife to late Balunywa!

Hajat Azena Kitimbo Balunywa

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba

Hajat Azena Kitimbo Balunywa was born in 1927 in Bunyantore – Bugweri. Her father was Prince Salim Wandira Munulo and her grandfather was Prince Ibrahim Munulo – one of the eleven Basoga chiefs who ruled what is now Bugweri County in Iganga District.

Her mother was Azeda Matama – Daughter of Mr. Muyirima, son of Baingiire of Baiseigaga (Buffalo) clan in Buyirima – Bugweeri.

Education:

She first went to a sub-grade school in Buniantore and before joining Buseesa Primary School.

She later joined Bhemdha Barclay High School in Iganga. This school had been established purposely to educate Princesses and other girls from well to do families. It was here that she was given a name Mary to match with the Christian environment in which she was studying.

At this stage, a suitor (Mr. Ali Balunywa) from a very prominent family which produced the first Sheikh in Busoga, identified her (a Princess from the Busoga royal family) through family contacts.

In 1945, Azena (the most educated girl in Busoga by then) got married to Mr. Ali Balunywa (the most educated young man in Busoga by then) who had just finished teacher training in Mukono Teachers Training Institute.

Ali Balunywa was a teacher who later became a Town Planning Officer before assuming the powerful office of Administrative Secretary.

Children

She was blessed with eight children:

Four boys and five girls – Muhammad Ndifuna being the eldest

In 1972, Ali Balunywa was picked from the District Commissioner Office in Jinja town by soldiers, put in a car boot and he has never been seen since then.

Hajat Azena recounts her experiences after the disappearance of her husband saying that her brother Kirunda Kivejinja made all attempts to locate the person or the remains but failed. Therefore the late A.W.K Balunywa has no grave.

She says immediately after his disappearance, people were sympathetic but feared to associate with the family and very soon, the family was left on its own.

She had to assume the responsibility of looking after all the over 36 children, both biological and foster including those of her co-wives.

With such a big family, Hajat Azena together with her ‘sisters’, worked very hard to provide for the family and maintain its honour as a family that welcomes people. She is grateful to her brother Kirunda Kivejinja for paying school fees for the Balunywa orphans.

With patience and hard work, Hajat Azena’s efforts paid off when the children started graduating one by one. Today, the family has over twenty eight graduates.

Through her efforts, the family never ran short of food and it never stooped welcoming people in the house.

From the time her husband disappeared, Hajat received and hosted international guests from America, Japan and Europe in her home. She refused to speak English and always communicated with her visitors in lusoga and they were able to understand one another and bond.

According to her brother Hon. Kirunda Kivejinja; “The visitors were interested in knowing more about the two most powerful and influential families in Busoga, especially the people behind them.”

Ali Balunywa’s father by the names of Shk. Juma Waiswa Kinyiri was the first Muslim to be ordained a Sheikh (1947) in the whole of Eastern region.

On the other hand, Hajat Azena was from the family of Prince Ibrahim Munulo, the first person to embrace Islam in Busoga (founder of Islam in Busoga).

Hajat Azena loved children and always spoke out openly to anyone who did wrong regardless of their age. Every child thought he/she was the only one Hajat loved. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren enjoyed living with her. Before she became weak, everybody believed that leaving a child with her was the best thing because she provided both food and discipline.

Hajat was a member of many social groups in which she provided leadership and guidance. Some of the groups were; Mupende Mupendaaje – Njagala Nkwagale (Love me and I love you) and Basooka Kwavula (you first crawl before you walk). These two groups provided her with an opportunity to interact with people and use her knowledge to continue to serve others.

Balunywa Foundation

Among the activities that were in the Balunywa home were youth training activities under the Balunywa Foundation. The foundation was established by young people in the area who said they had been touched by the family under the guidance of Hajat Balunywa.

Every fortnight, the members come to the family compound and undertake some family activities and these included training others in various activities.

Through her initiative, the foundation would also train women and children. Hajji Abdallah Balunywa former LC3 Chairperson has been providing leadership to the young people.

Hajat Balunywa always welcomed this group in the home and she endlessly served meals to them.

Comments

1. Rt. Hon. Kirunda Kivejinja:

“After the disappearance/death of her husband, Princess Hajat Azena was still young and energetic but she never abandoned her husband’s children for another suitor. She instead became a pillar of unity and inspiration in the family. She worked hand in hand with relatives and family friends in efforts to educate and look after all her husband’s children. Her efforts paid off because today, the family has over 28 graduates”

2.Ms. Edith Basalirwa:

Hajat Azena loved and trusted her God. In most of her statements, she would always refer to her God. This teaches us to always love and trust our God.

3.Shakirah Nagujja Kalyango (Grand Daughter)

My Daada (Grandmother) taught me the value of religion. She never missed a prayer at least for the time I have known her. In all that she did, she made sure that Allah came first before anything else.

Balunywa family

On August 23rd 2014, about two weeks before her death, she collected her sisters and they went to have a Dua in Prof. Balunywa’s home in Entebbe. She gave out clothes to her sisters. She also took time in the week before to visit other relatives. She was bidding farewell to them. It was four days later when she fell after Wudhu (Abolution) for the Aswir (Early evening prayers) and breathed her last on 5th September 2014.

Conclusion:

Hajat Azena was a woman of courage and inspiration who loved Islam, respected the institution of marriage, valued her family and welcomed all people.

Despite being a Princess and getting married at a tender age, she co-existed with her co-wives and they lived together in harmony for 42 years as widows.

With her efforts, the family has produced over 28 graduates including professors, doctors and other prominent personalities. One of the most known is Prof. Wasswa Balunywa, the Principal of Makerere University Business School (MUBS). Wasswa Balunywa also served as the Katwikiro of Busoga.

Basing on the above narrative, Princess Hajat Azena to me is a special personality who qualifies to be a Muslim heroine though unsung.

May Allah the Almighty reward her with Janat Firdawusi; Amiina.

The writer is the Public Relations Officer – Uganda Muslim Supreme Council

Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504

Email: pro_umsc@yahoo.com

Will Muslim Leaders ever Survive Political/External Interference?

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba
Unlike their Catholic and Protestant counterparts, Muslims in Uganda have witnessed their leaders rising to power only to go down as a result of political or external influences like regime changes.
The pace was set during the colonial days when the colonial masters confirmed Prince Nooh Mbogo as the head of Muslims in Uganda yet they were very well aware that his popularity was only in Buganda (Read Abaasimba Obuyisiraamu Mu Uganda Pg. 59-60) by Prince Haji Badru Kakungulu and Dr. A.B.K Kasozi.

When Prince Mbogo tried to exercise his leadership as far as Bunyoro, his official known as Palapande was rejected by the local Mullahs Sadiki and Adam. When the issue reached the office of Omukama Kabalega, he intervened in support of Sadiki and Adam.
Prince Mbogo wrote to the colonial masters seeking their intervention, but the Provincial Commissioner declined referring to the matter as a purely religious issue. Here, we witness the very people who confirmed Mbogo as the leader of Muslims in Uganda denying him the right to administer areas outside Buganda (Bunyoro).
“After Mbogo’s death (1921), the Kabaka, Sir Daudi Chwa, took immediate steps to make sure that the community was put into capable hands. He also moved fast to enable Kakungulu become the leader of the Muslims, taking the initiative to see that the Lukiiko (Parliament of Buganda Kingdom) proclaimed him as such” (Read “The Life of Prince Badru Kakungulu Wasajja” Pg. 62 by Dr. A. B. K Kasozi).

However in 1966, when Mengo Palace was invaded on the orders of Obote, Prince Badru Kakungulu lost his position as leader of Muslims in Uganda because he was seen as part of King Mutesa’s establishment that was threatening Obote’s political ambitions.

Sheikh Swaib Semakula (Sheikh Mukulu) under NAAM was then selected as the Mufti of Uganda with the backing of Obote’s political might.
Sheikh Mukulu’s leadership also lasted as long as the Obote I regime did. When Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada overthrew Obote’s civilian regime through a coup d’etat in 1971, Shk. Mukulu who was supposedly pro Obote abandoned his office.

Amin created the department of Religious Affairs in the President’s Office in order to monitor the activities of religious leaders. He ordered religious leaders from the Islamic, Roman Catholic and Anglican Protestants to go for a conference in Kabale – Kigezi which he said was aimed at resolving all internal differences within these organisations.

In Kabale, it was resolved that there should be a Supreme Council made up of three Muslim representatives from each district to form an organisation that would unite all Muslims in Uganda. As per the conference’s resolutions, Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) was created and Sheikh Abdulrazak Matovu was elected as the Chief Kadhi of Uganda.

In 1974, Amin fell out with the UMSC administration and Sheikh Abdulrazak Matovu together with his deputy Shk. Ali Kulumba were dismissed by a commission chaired by Mr. Noah Muhammad on the orders of Amin himself.

At this point, the administration of Islam shifted to State House, Entebbe.
Amin later appointed Sheikh Yusuf Sulaiman Matovu deputized by Shk. Anas Abdunoor Kalisa to replace Maulana Abdulrazak Matovu’s administration.

However, in 1977, an attempt was made on Shk. Yusuf Sulaiman’s life through a suspicious dubious accident. Amin forced him to resign shortly after. It is believed that his comments on the death of Archbishop Janan Luwum angered Amin.

Following this development, Amin took control of Muslim affairs. By 1979, UMSC headquarters had only two defacto leaders in the names of Al Haji Mufanjala and Shk Ahmada Mukasa who were the Secretary General and Secretary for Religious Affairs respectively, and they were acting as Mufti and heads of the entire Muslim administration.
When Julius Nyerere’s Bakombozi (soldiers) overran Amin’s soldiers which resulted in his over throw, Al Haji Mufanjala and Shk. Ahmada Mukasa who were holding key offices at UMSC headquarters also fled leaving a vacuum in Muslim leadership.

To fill this Vaccum, Paul Muwanga together with Shk. Ali Senyonga went to Prince Kakungulu who appointed Sheikh Kassim Mulumba as Ag. Chief Kadhi of Uganda with Shk. Muhammad Ssemakula Shk. Ali Kivumbi as his deputies. This was under the leadership of President Yusuf Lule, Godfrey Binaisa and then after the military commission which was headed by Paul Muwanga who used his influence as the chairman of the military commission to support Kassim Mulumba’s leadership
When UPC won the controversial elections of 1980, the military commission handed over to the elected President by the names of H.E Dr. Milton Apollo Obote. Kassim Mulumba’s leadership also ended with the military commission.

During Obote II regime, Shk. Obeid Kamulegeya was elected by the UMSC General Assembly which sat in Makerere as a Chief Kadhi,deputized by Shk. Anas Kinyiri. Maulana Abdulrazaak Matovu became the Mufti, replacing Sheikh Kassim Mulumba who was a Chief Kadhi/Mufti of Uganda. This leadership had the support of Obote, Chris Rwakasisi, Luwuliza Kirunda and many UPC stalwarts. Historically, NAAM and UPC had a strong bond.

When Tito Okello overthrew the Obote II regime in 1985, the then entire leadership of UMSC ran in disarray leaving all offices empty.
On 26th January 1986, NRA/NRM led by President Museveni took over and found an ongoing reconciliation process which was initiated by the World Muslim League (WML) based in Makkah Saudi Arabia. This reconciliation initiative was being chaired by Mubarak Gasamallah Zeyid, representing WML and they were in their final implementation which was to be done in Makkah. Both representatives of the two opposing groups i.e. one led by Shk. Abdu Obed Kamulegeya and the other led by Shk. Qasim Mulumba had left for Makkah Saudi Arabia at the Headquarters of WML in Makkah on 25th January 1986.

Among the prominent members involved were; Mauwlana Abdulrazak Matovu, Qasim Mulumba, Abdu Obed Kamulegeya, Shk. Abdu Noor Kaliisa, Shk. Isa Khalifa Lukwago, Haji Sulaiman Mutumba, Shk. Zubair Kayongo, Haji Juma Yousuf Walusimbi and Shk. Asumani Mbubi.
They came back with a famous Makkah Agreement which ushered in an interim leadership led by Shk. Hussein Rajab Kakooza as the Chief Kadhi and Shk. Saad Ibrahim Luwemba as the Deputy Chief Kadhi.
Here, we witness a UMSC leadership ushered in not by Muslims of Uganda but by external (Saudi Arabia) influence.

The interim leadership which was put in place by the Makkah Agreement was supposed to last for only one year after which elections were to be held between 7th November and 28th November 1986.
Between 22nd February 1986 and 18th September 1986, UMSC Interim leadership was supposed to amend the 1972 UMSC constitution and to have a new democratically elected leadership put in place in line with the UMSC new amended constitution.
Although Shk. Luwemba was constitutionally elected in the 1987 UMSC elections, he was denied to take over office by the interim leadership led by Shk. Hussein Rajab Kakooza.
Sheikh Luwemba took the matter to court and after a long court battle; he won the case and took office as the Mufti of Uganda in 1991deputised by Shk. Muhammad Semakula. In other words, Shk. Luwemba assumed leadership with the mandate of the Supreme Court.
In 1993, Prof. Kanyeihamba’s commission with support from government tried to bring in Shk. Ahmad Mukasa as the Mufti of Uganda deputized by Shk. Zubair Kayongo – under the Mbarara Declaration. However, this ended in a fiasco.
Sheikh Saad Luwemba held on to the position of Mufti of Uganda until 1997 when he passed on.
His deputy, Shk. Muhammad Ssemakula assumed the position of Ag. Mufti until the year 2000 when nationwide elections from the Mosque level to the national level were held, in which Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje was unanimously elected as the universal Mufti of Uganda without any external/political pressure. We thank Hajat Anuna Omar Special Senior Adviser to His Excellency the President on political/Director of Muslim affairs for taking a lead in soliciting for funds from various Muslim organisations and other sources to facilitate the elections. She did all this without vested interests in the elections. Bravo to Hajat Anuna Omar and NRM government.
Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje has remained unchallenged as the constitutional head and leader of Muslims in Uganda up to date as stipulated in article 5 of the UMSC Constitution.
It is only the current Mufti who came into office following a formal and historical handover ceremony presided over by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on 6th January 2001.
Bravo to NRM government under President Museveni for its clear policy of noninterference in religious affairs and freedom of worship.

In 2012, the current UMSC administration under the leadership of Shk. Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje was able to successfully hold countrywide elections for UMSC structures without any external pressure. This never happened in previous UMSC administrations which were always under political/external pressure.

The duty is now on all of us Muslims to ensure that our leadership does not fall victim to political/external influence or regime change. This can only be achieved if we stick to the teachings of the Holy Quran, Hadith and UMSC constitution, and avoid thinking that external forces can solve our problems.

We have to value discipline within our fraternity, because indiscipline breeds disorder, disorder breeds disorganization, disorganization breeds conflict, conflict breeds chaos. Any chaotic society will never attain development neither will it ever be united.

The writer is the UMSC Public Relations Officer
He can be reached on
Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504
Email: pro_umsc@yahoo.com

Meet Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa: the man entrusted with the will of Prince Badru Kakungulu!

Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa Mwasansimbi

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba

Background
Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa Mwasansimbi was born on 25th October 1934 at Kiruruga village, Kakiri Sub Country in Busiiro County (current Wakiso District).

His father was Muwalimu Imam Haji Adam Kasule Salongo of Mende-Bbuga village, Mituba IV parish, Mumyuka Sub County in Busiiro County. He belonged to the “Ngeye clan”. He was the Imam of Mende – Kalema Memorial Mosque.

His Grandfather was Silimu Kalungi Mwamula. He was Prince Nuhu Mbogo’s special laundry man who was superb in scrubbing the Prince’s clothes until they were spot free and bright. This earned him the name Mwamula (brightener).Shk. Ahmad Mukasa’s mother was Amina Namayanja of Mamba (Lung Fish) clan.Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa was born in a family of 8 children; four sons and four daughters. One son died and they remained seven as listed below:

Shk. Ahmad Mukasa, Haji Musa Luzzi – Imam Mende Mosque, Haji Kibirige Mayanja (Founder and Chairman of Justice Forum), Mastula Nalule – Wife to Shk. Muhammad Ismail Matovu (O.B to Shk. Ahmad Mukasa), Aisha Nanfuka, Khadijah Nabunya and Fatuma Nakitto.

His first teacher was his father Muwalimu Imam Adam Kasule. He taught him the Holy Quran and gave him other Islamic lessons.
At the age of six, Ahmad Mukasa had read and covered five Juzus (sections) of the Holy Quran courtesy of his father.

In 1946, he joined Sekabaka Nuhu Kalema Memorial Primary School (Where King Kalema was buried) and he was placed under the supervision of Shk. Ali Kulumba who was the then Twale Sheikh of Busiiro County (Now Wakiso District).

In 1948, he finished reading all the chapters of the Holy Quran and Shk. Ali Kulumba is the one who performed the prayers for completing the Quran (Oku’Khatimisa/Kufumba Quran) which involved slaughtering a goat. The young Ahmad Mukasa also received Hijaza (blessings) from Shk. Ali Kulumba.

In 1950, Ahamad Mukasa finished primary six and immediately joined Katuumu Madrasatul Nahwa Al-Islamiyya founded by Shk. Swaib Semakula (Shk. Mukulu). His principle teachers were Shk. Buruhan Semakula and Shk. Mahmood Katende.

In 1954, he reached the level of Muwalimu (Islamic Teacher) and he started teaching at Mende Kalema Primary School and serving as the Imam Mende Kalema Memorial Mosque concurrently.

In 1958, he was appointed atwale Sheikh for Busiiro County.
In 1961, he together with 46 fellow students were ordained Sheikhs at a colourful function presided over by Prince Badru Kakungulu the then Muslim leader.

They were ordained (Okusibwa Ebitambaala) by Shk. Sharif Haddad of Nakasero, Shk. Swaib Semakula and Shk. Muhammad Yakuubu Lubowa at Kibuli Mosque.

Among those ordained on that day were: Shk. Muhammad Ismail Matovu of Ttamu – Singo, Shk. Jafer Bakaaki of Busoga, Shk. Muhammad Wamala of Kooki, Shk. Ibrahim Sebirumbi of Kirwazza – Bulemezi, Shk. Zubair Bakari, Shk. Abdumajid Norman of Namasumbi etc.

In 1964, Shk. Mukasa was spotted as a brilliant Islamic theological teacher by Prince Badru Kakungulu Patron UMEA, Ramadhan Gava Secretary General UMEA and Haji Juma Babinsibire who was UMEA schools Inspector, and appointed to teach at Kibuli S.S.

Between 1958 to 1966, we see Shk. Mukasa as an Imam of Mende Kalema Memorial Mosque, a teacher at Mende Kalema Primary School, a supervisor of Muslim schools in Busiiro Twale, a Twale Sheikh as well as an adult student of Katuumu Madrasatul Nahwa Al-Islamiyya pursuing studies to qualify as a full Sheikh and a teacher at Kibuli S.S.

Between 1964 and 1968, among the students he taught at Kibuli S.S were Badru Kateregga (Now Professor and Proprietor of Kampala University) and Munyagwa (now Medical Doctor – Dentist).

He was appointed the Imam of Kibuli Mosque by Prince Badru Kakungulu and he served in this position from 1966 to 1972.

On 1st June 1972, Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa was appointed Secretary for Religious Affairs in the newly formed Uganda Muslim Supreme Council thereby becoming the pioneer officer in this position. He served in this position from 1972 to 1993 thereby becoming the longest UMSC Secretary for Religious Affairs under leadership of Maulana Abdul Razak Matovu who was the first chief Kadhi to Mufti Shk. Ibrahim Saad Luwemba.

Meanwhile, while teaching at Kibuli, he enrolled for an English correspondence course at Makerere University until 1980. He attained an equivalent of Senior IV.

When the liberation war started in 1980, Shk. Ahmad Mukasa migrated to Nakaswa in Mukono where he stayed with Shk. Obeid Kamulegeya until 1986 when the war was over.

He returned and resumed teaching at Mende Kalema Secondary School until 1993 when he was elected Interim Mufti of Uganda in the Mbarara unity conference chaired by Prof. George W. Kanyeihamba, a decision which was challenged by the then Mufti of Uganda Shk. Ibrahim Saad Luwemba who was at the UMSC Headquarters Old Kampala and Sheikh Mukasa with his management established his headquarters at Kibuli.

He served in this capacity until the year 2000 when he handed over to the duly universal elected Mufti of Uganda Shk. Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje.

Sheikh Mukasa is the one who swore in the Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje and handed over the keys of office to him on 1st January 2001 at a colourful ceremony presided over by His Excellency the President of Uganda Gen. Yoweri K. Museveni.

In 2001, Sheikh Mukasa was one of the four man delegation that met the then Libyan Leader Col. Gaddafi in Sirti and Benghazi to negotiate the construction of the National Mosque. The delegation was led by His Eminence the Mufti of Uganda Shk. Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje. The other members were Haji Serugo Kasenene and Shk. Anas Sesimba.

In 2013, he was elected Chairman of Kibuli based Muslim Community. Early this year (February 2014), Shk. Ahmad Mukasa was elected Shk. Islam by Kibuli Muslim Community members led by Prince Kassim Nakibinge.

Sheikh Mukasa once served as the Young Men Muslim Association Deputy Asst. Secretary General. This youth group of elite Muslims is based at Kibuli with its Patron Prince Badru Kakungulu.
He is a signatory to the constitution of the recently registered Uganda Muslim Community of Kibuli.

Achievements:
After completing his studies at Katuumu, Shk. Ahmad Mukasa embarked on constructing a new Mosque and New Classrooms at Mende. He later established Mende Kalema Muslim Secondary School.

During his tenure as Twale Sheikh of Busiiro County, Shk. Ahmad Mukasa over saw the establishment of a Mosque and a School in each of the eight Sub-Counties in Busiiro Twale (County).These Include Kyebando Muslim Primary School and Mosque, Entebbe Kitubulu Muslim Primary School and Mosque, Kasanje Primary School and Mosque, Kambe Muslim Primary School and Mosque (at Naddangira), Kyengeza Muslim Primary School and Mosque, Kiroro Muslim Primary School and Mosque, Kajansi (Bweya) Primary School and Mosque among others.

These schools and Mosques have given birth to many others in different parts of Busiiro County, Buganda, and Uganda at large.
As a parent, Shk. Ahmad Mukasa put into action what he preaches by educating both his sons and daughters to higher levels.

He also paid school fees for his young brother – now Haji Muhammad Kibirige Mayanja Founder president of JEEMA and currently chairman of the same party.

Sheikh Mukasa was entrusted with the will of Prince Badru Kakungulu which he kept for more than 13 years.He was also appointed one of the Guardians to Prince Kassim Nakibinge alongside Rev. Polycarp Kakooza, Abubakar Kakyaama Mayanja, Dr. Sulaiman Kiggundu, Shk. Muhammad Semakula and others.Surprisingly, the will we have talked about was a single copy which was never challenged by anybody.

A Darasah which he started in 1980 in the Mosques of Bwaise, Alidina, Wakiso and Mende have produced very articulate and renowned Sheikhs. One of them is Sheikh Edirisa of Mulago. This Darasa is now concentrated at his home in Mende.

While serving as Interim Mufti, Shk. Ahmad Mukasa held several meetings aimed at uniting Muslim leaders in Uganda.“In 2000, I defied my colleagues who included Shk. Obeid Kamulegeya, Shk. Zubair Kayongo and Shk. Kulumba and decided to endorse the 2000 UMSC Elections as well as officially handing over to the duly elected Mufti of Uganda Shk. Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje. I made this painful decision in the name of Muslim unity in Uganda” Shk. Ahmad Mukasa told the author.

Another special attribute about Shk. Ahmad Mukasa is that he focused on developing his home area, something that many Muslim leaders have failed to do.

Comments:
1.Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje (The Mufti of Uganda):
Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa is someone who respects his age and status. I have never heard him utter any word of abuse whatsoever, be it against me or any other person. I must also add that he is the one who swore me into the office of the Mufti of Uganda. Shk. Mukasa is indeed a role model.
2.Mr. Kibirige Mayanja:

Shk. Mukasa has been the pillar of our family for all the time. He is the one who educated us his brothers and sisters right from primary to university. He also educated children who are not family members. This was all in addition to his biological children who are over 30 in number.He has been a devoted teacher in various schools which include Mende Islamic Primary and Secondary and Kibuli S.S.
At Kibuli, he was not only a teacher but also at the forefront of formulating the National Syllabus for Islamic Religious Education for O and A level classes.

The syllabus became examinable by the East African examination council and the then Uganda National Examination Board.
He has devoted much of his life to Muslim education. He is one of the few Sheikhs if not the only Sheikh who decided to upgrade his own secular education and religious education. He can now be compared to someone holding a master’s degree.

He inspired me, taught me at home, paid my school fees at Taamu Madrasa school belonging to Shk. Muhammad Matovu his OB at Katuumu where I stayed for three years and then taught me in class at Kibuli from S.I to S VI.

He is a very hardworking man and he has been successful in all activities that he has involved himself in.He is a successful farmer and he personally takes part in digging and looking after his animals.He is one Sheikh who has devoted his life to teaching and self-education. He loves education very much to the extent that he was able to learn English and sharpen his Arabic language through self-education.

While serving as the Twale Sheikh for Busiiro County (Wakiso), he traversed the whole county using a bicycle as his means of transport.

3.Sheikh Abubakar Musoke (Former Private Secretary to His Eminence Chief Kadhi of Uganda 1972-74, former principal of Bilal Islamic Institute, a holder of 1st class Sharia Degree from Madina University, a master’s degree student of peace and conflict resolution – IUIU as well as a prominent Muslim Cleric).

‘Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa has always been a straight forward person. He respects himself and his adherents. Despite serving in various capacities, he has no dark spot. He is an educationist.

4.Shk. Nkangi Ibrahim (former District Kadhi – West Buganda, one of the founder members of UMSC and currently Senior Special adviser to His Eminence Mufti)
Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa is the one who initiated me into Muslim leadership. This happened when he was the Twale Sheikh of Busiiro County. He put me in charge of Muslim education in the whole of Busiiro County (Wakiso District).

He is also my teacher. I attended his Darasas and I benefited a lot as a Sheikh and Muslim leader. He still conducts Darasas at his home.
He loves education a lot and he has educated most of his children to high levels.

When he was the UMSC Secretary for Religious Affairs, Shk. Mukasa was a very good administrator to the extent that he efficiently handled issues brought my District Kadhis without bothering the Mufti.

He is someone who eats out of his hard work. He gets hold of a hoe and goes digging in alongside his family members. He is very disciplined, gentle, straight forward and diplomatic in his approach. He respects himself and others.

Marital Status:
Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa is married with four wives listed below:
· Sauda Nasuuna – 1954
· Sarah Namakula
· Madina Nalwadda
· Madina Nakyobe

Children and Grand Children
Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa has over 50 children, Grand Children and Great Grand Children.He ensured that his children get proper education. Those who heeded to his call got the required education.Some of them are listed below with their education qualifications.
1. Hajji Muhammad Mayanja Kibirige
2. Hajat Hawa Nakubulwa
3. Hajat Aminah Nakalitta Namayanja
Remarks:
My father is a progressive man. At a time when, to most parents, male children were superior to their female counterparts, Dad ensured that his daughters were as well if not better educated than his sons. During the war when funds were scarce, he halted the progress of our brothers’ education but never the girls.
“Educate a girl/woman educate a nation”
May the Almighty Allah Grant him and his family the best in life and the hereafter.
(Janah Firdaus Ameen)
4. Hajji Noordeen Mpanga Kalule

Remarks:
He has always been there for me, for us all without discrimination. We discuss everything with him. In fact we call him Chairman. He is a wonderful Dad. The best gift he has given to all of us his sons and daughters is education. I see him not only as my father but a friend.
My father is one of those special people who eats what he grows by his own hands. In other words, he eats from his sweat. He is a very hardworking and foresighted father who weighs every word that he utters. Above all, he does not ask for favours.

5. Ass. Prof. Dr. Umar Ahmed Kasule

Remarks:
Dad is an orderly, principled, patient and dedicated person who taught me hard work with patience.

6. Mayanja Muhammad Junior

7. Ibrahim Kakande Mukasa

8. Hindu Namuga

9. Nakande Leillah

10. Idrisa Kalungi Mukasa

11. Mustafa Ahmed Kawooya

12. Rashida Nakayiza Ssejjoba

13. Hajji Hamza Ssebunya

14. Hajat Hajarah Nantaba Walusimbi

15. Nalule Masitula

16. Twaha Ahmed Kasule

17. Aidah Bamboola Mukasa

18. Hadijah Nabunya Mukasa

19. Hajat Faridah Nakawooya Lukwago

20. Abdallah Ahmed Kasule

21. Ahmed Kabuye

22. Nattabi Mariam Mukasa

Remarks:
The Holy Qur’an says that every child should appreciate his parents every hour. SURA AL-ISRA. Our beloved Dad we appreciate you every hour of how you groomed us. And I pray to the Almighty Allah to reward you abundantly

23. Hanifah Nagayi Mukasa

24. Adinan Ahmed Gayi

25. Counsel Kalule Ahmed Mukasa

26. Nakito

27. Joweria Rahma Nakubulwa

28. Mpanga Yasin Bin Ahmed

29. Sheikh Ismael Kibirige

30. Nakalitta Jauhara Mukasa

31. Sheikh Kasim Mwasa

32. Erias Mukasa

33. Zubedda Nabayimbazi

34. Hussein Kafero Mukasa

35. Noor Naluze Mukasa

36. Hamza Sali Mukasa

37. Uthman Buyungo

38. Sheikh Mahmood Serwanga

GRAND SONS AND GRAND DAUGHTERS OF SHIEKH AL-ISLAM AHMED MUKASA

1. Ahmed Ssempebwa Kakyama

2. Eisah Kakyama Mayanja

3. Sauda Mayanja Kayama

4. Nakayiza Rashida

5. Umar Sozi

6. Huzaifah Kasule

7. Nanfuka Aisha

Sheikh Al Islam Ahmad Mukasa Mwasansimbi is retired at his home in Mende. He has continued to be an active farmer. He has two Eucalyptus forests comprising of over 12000 trees. This is in addition to coffee plantations, banana plantations and many other food crops.

During my last interview with him, he prepared for me Matooke and beans (Akatogo) which was very delicious. All these came from his garden.

He and his family were busy constructing a family mosque which they want to complete before his 80th birthday which falls on 25th October 2014.

Conclusion
I conclude by saying that Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa is a gentleman and a dedicated religious leader. He preaches in a wise and well measured manner. He is among the few Sheikhs who have never used abusive or vulgar language in his preaching. I first had his preaching in 1971on radio Uganda following the overthrow of Obote I. I found his preaching very educative and inspiring.

One of the factors that held back the progress of Muslims in Uganda was illiteracy. Sheikh Mukasa realized this and throughout his life, he believed in education and promoted it starting with himself and his family.

According to a Turkish Muslim scholar Fethulla Gulen, ‘real’ life is possible only through knowledge, those who neglect learning and teaching are considered “dead” even though they are still alive for we were created to learn and to communicate what we have learned to others.

Basing on the above statement, Shk. Ahmad Mukasa Mwasansimbi is not among the dead. He is alive by his deeds.

This distinguished Sheikh will clock 80 years of age on 25th Oct 2014. Happy birthday to you Sheikh Al Islam Mwasansimbi and many happy returns.

He is a Sheikh worth his title and an elder worth his age. Indeed Sheikh Ahmad Mukasa is a Muslim hero though unsung.

The writer is the Public Relations Officer – Uganda Muslim Supreme Council
Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504

Haji Eng. Younus Balitema Kajubi Mpagi:one of the founders of the Banakyewa (Volunteers) Group during Shk. Kassim Mulumba’s reign!

Haji Eng. Younus Balitema Kajubi Mpagi

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba
Younus Mpagi was born on 15th April, 1937 at Mikoni Village Sabaddu in Buwunga Sub County, Masaka County (District). His father was Muwalimu Ali Kajubi of Nsenene (Grasshopper) clan, and his mother was Hajat Nalongo Aziza Nagujja of Njovu (Elephant) clan. In his early days, he got Islamic education from his father who was a prominent Muwalimu. He managed to read and complete the Holy Quran and other relevant Islamic books. He was therefore a knowledgeable Muslim. He first went to school at Bwaala Primary school where he studied from P. 1 to P.4 before joining Kabukunge Primary School for P.5 and P.6. He then joined Kibuli for Jr.I and later Aggrey for Jr.II. He joined King’s College Budo in 1955 with the help of the late Prince Badru Kakungulu and in 1957; he completed the Cambridge School Certificate. He went to Howard University, Washington, D.C where he graduated in 1966 with a BSc. Degree in Electrical Engineering. He did his Industrial Training in 1968 at AEI, Trafford, Manchester and Gravesend – UK.

Other Courses Attended:
• Financial management and Tariff course sponsored by World Bank – 1987
• Project Planning and Management sponsored by U.N – 1987

Eng. Younus Mpagi a Civil Servant
In 1968-69, Younus Mpagi served as an Assistant Engineer in Uganda Electricity Board (UEB), responsible for the supervision of work on the Kampala District’s 132KV, 33KV, 11KV and low voltage networks. From 1969-71, Younus was appointed the UEB Kampala District Manager responsible for the management of the Board’s largest District in the country. During this period, he also served as Acting Regional Engineer UEB Northern and Western Uganda. He later became the Regional Engineer in charge of Central Region comprising of the Districts of Kampala, Lugazi, Bombo, Entebbe and Mityana. He was also responsible for the 132KV Kabulasoke Primary Sub-station controlling Masaka and Western Region feeders. He served in this position from 1971 to 1972. From 1972 to 1994, Eng. Younus served as the Chief Commercial Engineer/Project Coordinator – UEB before being appointed UEB Deputy Project Manager – Owen Falls Dam Extension Project, a position he held until the year 2000.

Other Responsibilities
• Vice President: Uganda Institute of Professional Engineers (1977-90)
• Member, Board of Governors: Uganda Polytechnic – Kyambogo (1981-91) • Chairman, Building and Sub-Committee: Uganda Red Crosss (1981-89)
• Chairman, Standards and Regulations Committee: UIPPE (1988-90)
• Council Member: Uganda National Bureau of Standards (1988-89)
• Member: Engineers’ Registration Board (1988-91)
• Chairman: Kampala District Land Board (2004-2010)
• Member, Board of Directors: Public Procurement and Disposal Authority (2003-2010)
• Member, Board of Directors: CBS (2002-2008)
• Member, Technical Committee: CBS (1995-2008)
• Chairman, Board of Directors: Uganda Motors Limited (1980-83)
• Member, Board of governors: Uganda Technical College – Masaka (1988-95)

Contribution to Islam
Haji Eng. Younus Mpagi served Islam in different capacities and different institutions as follows;
• Deputy Chairman: National Mosque (UMSC Headquarters – Old Kampala) Construction Committee
• Member, Executive Committee: UMSC (1980-2009)
• Vice Chairman, Board of Governors: Kibuli Teacher Training College (1970-77)
• Deputy Chairman, Board of Governors: Nabisunsa Girls School (1972-81) • Deputy Chairman, Founder Committee Member: Islamic University in Uganda Project (1980-88)
• Chairman Board of Governors: Kololo High School (1980-90)
• Member, Board of Governors: Kampala Muslim Primary School (1986-90) • Member, University Council: Islamic University in Uganda (1988-2010)
• Member, Estate Planning and Development Committee: Islamic University in Uganda (1988-2010)
• Committee member: Kibuli Mosque
• Member: Young men Muslim Association (One of the founder members)

Comments by Colleagues:

Sheikh Abdulkadir Mbogo
According to Shk. Abdulkadir Mbogo (one of the signatories on Eng. Younus’ Will), he (Eng. Younus) was honest in all his endeavors and dedicated to his religion, country, Kingdom and family. He did a lot in connecting the elite Muslims to Muslim youth as one way of inspiring them. He was one of those who played a key role in the formation of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) and later supported initiatives aimed at uniting Muslims in Uganda under one umbrella organisation – UMSC. “He took the middle position when it came to the Muslim wrangles in the country and for this; he was respected by all conflicting Muslim leaders” said Shk. Mbogo. He was an arbiter in family issues especially those involving young Muslim couples who had no experience in handling family matters. Eng. Younus was very close to the royal family at Kibuli and he was respected and loved by people regardless of their age, ideology and status in society. He was one of the founders of the Banakyewa (Volunteers) Group during Shk. Kassim Mulumba’s reign as the Mufti of Uganda. He was also the adviser to Mufti Kassim Mulumba. In Masaka, he single handedly extended electricity from Masaka to Kabubbu – Buyoga Village in Bukomansimbi Masaka where his mother lived.

Eng. Dr. Badru Kiggundu – Chairman Electoral Commission
Eng. Mpagi was exemplary in his service, disciplined and a patriot who served across regimes. He delivered results in all the offices and responsibilities that he held. In all these, you cannot trace even an iota of corruption.

Dr. Serugo Kasenene – Former UMSC Secretary General

Haji Eng. Mpagi was objective in his approach. He gave credit where it was due and discredit where it was necessary. He was an independent minded and constructive figure.

Haji Nsereko Mutumba (Author and Nephew to the late)

Eng. Younus Mpagi was a very considerate person. When he was the Chairman of Uganda Motors Limited in the early 1980s, he allocated four brand new car tyres with tubes to me. This was a time of scarcity in the country and the government had resorted to the allocation policy, and commodities like tyres were only allocated to the special ones, mostly senior government officials. Here is a person who knew very little about me yet he treated me in a special way without asking for anything in return (kitu kidogo). Eng. Younus detested corruption with all his heart. He was transparent in all his public and private transactions. He never shied away from his Muslim identity. He was always proud of his Islam and showed it even in his office. He had a lot of respect for Sheikhs and in return, he earned their respect. His Red Land Rover marked UEB was very visible on Muslim ceremonies because to him, such ceremonies gave him an opportunity to interact with Muslims from different backgrounds.

Rtn.Sanyu Sharifah – Eng. Mpagi’s Nephew

He was a Rotarian, from the Rotary Club of Mengo which meets at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel-Rubaga every Monday starting at 12.45pm. Rotary Club of Mengo is a member Club of Rotary International whose Headquarters are in Evanston, United States of America. Rotarians are neighbors, friends, professionals and community leaders who come together to create positive, lasting change in our communities and around the world. Haji Eng. Rtn. Mpagi was a very active member who stood by Rotary International’s motto of “Service above Self” He followed Rotary International’s 4-Way Test which considers the following questions in respect to thinking, saying or doing:
• Is it the truth?
• Is it fair to all concerned?
• Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
• Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
The object of Rotary is to encourage & foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
1. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
2. High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
3. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
4. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service. This objective is set against the “Rotary 4-way Test”, used to see if a planned action is compatible with the Rotarian spirit.

Some of the Rotarians of Rotary Club of Mengo:
Rtn.owekitibwa Nelson Kawalya, Rtn.owekitibwa Mansoor Simbwa Bunnya, Rtn.James Kalibala, Rtn.Israel Mayengo, Rtn.Arthur Bagunywa, Rtn.TS Mukasa, Rtn.Noordeen Kyewalyanga (Deen Establishment –Tents), Rtn.PJK Kaggwa, Rtn.Lawrence Mukiibi (St.Lawrence Schools & Colleges), Rtn.G.William Ssemivule (Former Headteacher Mengo S S S), Rtn.Joash Muhumuza.

Family

Eng. Younus Mpagi was married to Hajat Hasipha Nampewo of Mamba (Lungfish) clan, daughter of Haji Buruhan Ttonda (of Mamba Clan) in September 1972 and together, they had 11 children, four daughters and seven sons.

They are all well-educated as outlined below:
• Kajubi Muhammad Ali – Lawyer
• Sebatta Alia – Doctor from Mbarara University
• Haji Jamil Sewanyana – MBA. MUK.
• Abubakar Sendawula – Air Condition Expert
• Jenah Kirabo Nyende – B. COM. – MUK.
• Faez Malinzi Mpagi – Mechanical Eng. – Graduate (Algeria)
• Aisha Wanyama – Business Studies Graduate (India)
• Younus Mpagi Jr. – ICT Graduate (India)
• Nkangi Ali – Businessman (Buyoga Masaka)
• Sophie Kisitu – Nurse Graduate (USA)
• Alison Fox – Eng. Industrial and Designer Graduate (USA)
• Etc

Haji Eng. Younus Mpagi died in 2010 of heart disease leaving behind a widow, 11 children, over 30 grandchildren and great grandchildren. Haji Eng. Younus Balitema Kajubi Mpagi had a big heart. He lived his life fully and he lived by principals which won him many friends. He was unbelievably tolerant, faithful, transparent and extremely patient. He always wore smiles on his face; a characteristic of a true Muslim who wished every person Salaam (peace). Indeed he was a peaceful person, very loving especially to his entire family and his Muslim brothers, sisters and all Ugandans thereby qualifying him to be a true nationalist. Unless you have untreatable vendetta, you cannot resist crowning him a Muslim hero. To me, Haji Eng. Younus Balitema Kajubi Mpagi is a Muslim Hero though unsung. May Allah the Almighty bless him with Janah, Amina

The writer is the UMSC Spokesperson.
He can be reached on – Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504
Email: hajinsereko@gmail.com

————————————–
Indeed Haj Yunus Mpagi is a Muslim Hero. He was always close to Prince Badru Kakungulu and contributed immensely to the Young Men Muslim Association (YMMA). In many ways he was of Kibuli from UMC to his personal residence at the hill- at UEB his home was Elizabeth Avenue, Kololo.

Haj Mpagi, often quietly/in the back ground, was instrumental in the shaping the Unity of Uganda Muslims from the 1970s.

I personally witnessed his instrumental role in the Qusamallah Mubarak-Mecca Agreement 1 and he encouraged me bjoin the delegation that travelle to Mecca to sign the Mecca Agreement of 1986 that so many muslim leaders stand aside, rewriting the 1972 consistitution and holding of elctions of a new general assembly with a promise of new leaf to the muslims of Uganda. We had gone through warngles since 1980-1986. Unfortunately this did not last.

Again I saw Yunus Mpagi Haj playing vital roles at the last Unity meetings at Hotel Africana helping to usher in a leadership that for sometime ended wrangles that had streched from 1987.

Eng. Mpagi sorrounded himself with upcoming young muslim introducing them without inhibition to the community at various functions, meetings and to dignatories. I was among these young men. Others included TS Mukasa, Munyagwa Rashid…

May Almighty Allah reward for these endevours

Juma Yusuf K. Walusimbi

Nothing justifies the Israel genocide in Gaza!

We hear these justifications all the time : Israel is responding to Hamas’ “provocation.” The “provocation thesis” is often used to justify the visual reality of disproportionate murder. It was used during and after the Holocaust too by indecent and immoral analysts to justify the Nazi slaughter of the Jews. Or, the other noxious justification: Israel has a right to react to a Nazi-type existential threat from Hamas.

It is one thing to be pro-Israel in all things relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That is okay. BUT, it is “immoral” to use the Holocaust and the Nazi slaughter of German and other European Jews to justify the current bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli government. There are former IDF soldiers who have spoken loudly about their government’s approach . Hamas has its excesses as an armed group. But, it is not the Nazi State by any informed comparison. Therefore, to compare an armed Hamas group to a totalitarian Nazi state with an anti-Jewish racial and biological ideology, as Nazi Germany was, is to overdraw one’s historical analogies.

Even in our collective helplessness to do anything about what is going on in Gaza, what we should not do is to indirectly justify the murder of the innocent by reaching for comparisons that overstretch the historical record. We become like the perpetrators of murder when , in the cocoon of our own prejudices, we put the victims of murder beyond our universe of moral obligation , as the perpetrators do, to even consider the humanity of the victims . What happened to our sense of perspective, if not proportion?

Hamas does not have that capability to destroy Isreal, and we all know it. Hamas does not pose that threat to the Jewish State of Israel. Not even the entire defense forces of all the Arab countries together do. They have tried and failed at least three times since the creation of the Jewish state of Israel.The conditions under which Palestinian Arabs live is the most urgent concern of both FATAH and Hamas.

The conditions are so bad that it should not be acceptable to anyone anywhere in 2014. Many Israelis know this for a fact. They condemn the conditions. It is the conditions and FATAH’s abject failure to negotiate real improvements in the conditions that helped to create Hamas. Hamas is a child of circumstance. If Hamas is destroyed, another probably hardline resistance organization may take its place. Is that gamble worth it. It has not been in the past.Israel’s security is for the most part settled. What Israel needs and should seek and find is peace with its Palestinian neighbors not the domination of them.

Those of you who pray to Jerusalem, did you forget that historically Jerusalem was a Jebusite City, fully built and protected, but conquered by David? It was not a no-man’s land or fallow land, or was it? …….can you imagine the injustice of the settlement of Palestine by hordes of Jews, displacing the Arabs who were on the land for hundreds and thousands of years? So, it is even worse, post Balfour Declaration: how has the fate of Palestinians in Palestine been protected by the rest of the world from occupation?

A few moments ago on CNN’s “Crisis in the Middle East” news program (Sunday August 3, 2014), Yousef Munayer, Director of the Palestine Center, provided an illuminating perspective on the physical and symbolic violence of Occupation. He said that the Palestinians are the only people in the world who are required to provide security for their occupiers, and Israel is the only occupying force allowed to demand security from the victims of its occupation.Insightful, isn’t it?

HALIMA KIBERU AND HASSAN AMINA
UMBS MEMBERS ON FACEBOOK

Dr. Hajat Mastula Nakitto Kasujja:The first female Muslim Gynecologist in Uganda

Dr.Mastula in Hajji Mutumba’s office at UMSC

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba

Dr. Hajat Mastula Nakitto Kasujja Kitunzi was the first female Muslim Gynecologist in Uganda. She was born on March 13th 1955 at Mpigi Health Center in Mawokota. Her father was Haji Ahmad Kasujja of Ngeye clan; son of Haji Abdu Salaam Bakondeele from Kakubo – Butambala. Her mother was Ms. Bitu Nakabugo of Nkima (Monkey) clan.

Education
She started her education in 1962 when she joined Mpigi UMEA Primary School for primary one and two. She later joined Lukalu UMEA in 1964 until 1967 when she sat for Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) and passed in grade one.

In 1968, Mastula Kasujja joined King’s College Buddo for her secondary school education. She sat for the East African Certificate of Education (EACE) exams in 1971 and passed in first grade. She stayed at King’s College Buddo for her A’level where she offered PCB/Math. She sat for the East African Advanced Certificate of Education (EAACE) exams in 1973 and passed with flying colours.

In 1974/75, Mastula joined Makerere University Medical School for a Degree in Medicine. She graduated in 1979 with a Bachelors in Medicine and Bachelors in Surgery – MB/CHB.

She joined Mulago National Hospital in 1980 for her internship. In 1981, she was promoted to a Medical Officer and later in the same year, she was transferred to Entebbe Grade B General Hospital, where she served until 1985.

In September 1985, Dr. Mastula Kasujja went back to Makerere University Medical School – Mulago for a Post Graduate training in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She completed the course in 1988 and graduated in 1989 with a Masters in Obstetrics and Gynecology – M/MED-O&G, thereby becoming the first female Muslim Gynecologist in Uganda.

She worked in Mulago National Hospital up to 1991 before being posted to Hoima Hospital in 1992 (currently Hoima Regional Referral Hospital) where she served as a consultant in Gynecology.

In 1995, she was promoted to a consultant in Gynecology and later (in 2002) to the level of Senior Consultant, a position which she is still holding currently in the same Hospital. She performed Hijja in the year 2006.

In September 2008, Dr. Mastula Kasujja Kitunzi was among the Ugandans who received a National Award from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in recognition of her dedication to national service.

During last year’s National Women’s Day Celebrations (2013), Dr. Mastula Kitunzi Kasujja was decorated with an“Independence Medal” by the President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, hence becoming a National Heroine of Uganda.

Through her service, Dr. Mastula has taught and inspired many Ugandan medical professionals, Muslim girls in particular and many of these are now experts in the medical field and other professions. The number of Muslims she has personally treated successfully is equally enormous.

Family

Dr. Mastula Kasujja got married to Haji Asumani Nsamo Kitunzi (Another Unsung Muslim Hero) in 1992 and they have a family of 16 children; 2 daughters and 14 sons, all graduates with Degrees in various professions.

By being the first female Muslim Gynecologist, notwithstanding that, this profession deals with particularly women, Hajat Mastula becomes the first Muslim woman to salvage Muslim women from being treated by men as low class- which is incompatible with the Islamic teachings.

After her inspiration, many Muslim girls followed in her footsteps and we now have many Muslim Gynecologists who can treat our Muslim women peacefully and we are appealing for many more to take this profession, because this is in consonant with Islamic teachings.

The writer is the UMSC Spokesperson.
He can be reached on – Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504

Bombo’s Sheikh Haji Abdallah Mohammed(RIP) was originally from Nigeria!

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba

Today’s unsung Muslim hero is Sheikh Haji Mohammed Abdallah. Being a Nigerian by origin, we are unable to establish his ancestral roots. There is a lot about this hero but due to our limited resource base, we are sharing what we have so far gathered from talking to Muslims in Bombo. We also picked some information from the book – Abaasimba Obuyisiraamu Mu Uganda (Those who “founded” Islam in Uganda”) written by Prince Haji Badru Kakungulu and A.B.K. Kasozi. Insha’Allah if resources allow, we will travel to Arua and gather more information about his contributions to Islam in Uganda and share it.

According to reliable sources, Sheikh Haji Abdallah Mohammed was born in Nigeria at a place called Buruni. He is believed to have left Nigeria in 1890 for Hajj – Holy journey to Makkah where he got in touch with Muslim Ulamas (scholars) from different parts of the World. After 7 years in Makkah he embarked on a journey back home. On his way back, he passed via Egypt, Somalia (by then controlled by British colonialists) and later spent some time in Ethiopia where he was recruited by the Ethiopian army to teach Islam to the soldiers and their children.

By the end of 1905, Sheikh Haji Mohammed was in Kenya where he also taught Islam and converted many people into Islam. He arrived in Uganda in 1909 and immediately embarked on his mission of teaching Islam while stationed at Bombo.

At Bombo, he played a leading role in establishing an Islamic school and a Mosque – Masjid Noor. In 1913, he visited Tanzania several times. He also visited Nairobi in 1927. All these journeys were about learning and teaching Islam which was his single mission in life.

In 1930, he visited Arua where he did a lot in teaching and spreading Islam. In addition to teaching Islam to fellow Muslims, he is said to have converted over 100,000 people into Islam. He remains very popular in Arua as well as Entebbe. Sheikh Haji Mohammed also used to support people around him in many other ways.

He is the one who convinced Sheikh Abdallah Sekimwanyi and Kibali to go for Hajj. When they were convinced and ready to go, he gave them a map of the area including all the places to be visited. He also gave them the names and locations of places where they would get food and sleep.

In addition to converting over 200,000 people into Islam in Bombo, he established a very big Islamic Madrasa in which he conducted a huge Daawa program.

Among the Sheikhs whom he taught included Shk. Ahmad Nsambu of Nateete and many others. He associated very much with the Juma sect and in addition to Bombo Mosque; he used to pray at Bukoto Mosque and Wandegeya Mosque.

While in Arua, he fell sick and in 1943, he was returned to Bombo where he died. He was buried at MASJID NOOR in Bombo, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Islam. Some residents of Bombo told us that, those who visit his grave get lots of blessings and whoever misbehaves at the grave is subjected to bad luck.

Sheikh Haji Mohammed had six children, 2 sons and 4 daughters. One of his sons was late Shk. Cpt.Yasin Abdallah. When Shk. Haji Mohammed Abdallah died, he was succeeded by one of his students Shk. Muhammad Al Jaab who also did a lot and we will bring his profile in future Insha’Allah.

In the Holy Quran, 4:95, Allah says; “Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah has granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home) …”

As a true Muslim, Shk. Muhammad did what was expected of him; he spread Islam and converted as many people into Islam as he could. He sought knowledge and indeed got it. He cared for the poor and his behaviour was superb. He built many Mosques, among them is the famous Masjid Noor of Bombo.

Basing on the Holy Quran as stipulated above and basing on this inspiring history of Shk. Haji Mohammed Abdallah, really no reasonable person can deny that the said Shk. is a Muslim Hero though Unsung.

NB: We apologize for the poor quality of the photo. This is because it is the only one we came across. If there is a brother or sister with a better one, please share it with us.

The writer is the UMSC Spokesperson.
He can be reached on – Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504

Haji Sakibu Mukuye:Introduced coffee farming in Rukungiri and built the first ever iron roofed house in his home sub county of Buhunga in 1953 !

BY HAJJI NSEREKO MUTUMBA

Haji Sakibu Mukuye lived a fruitful life and pioneered many developmental activities in Rukungiri. His father was Asuman Ddamulira who traveled from Migadde village in Bulemezi – Luweero in 1904, briefly settled at Masaka Kinoni and proceeded to Rujumbura in 1910.

He was welcomed by the King of Mpororo, Makobore who gave him land to settle at Kabirizi; a remote and dangerous animal infested area. He contributed greatly to the development of Rukungiri, Ntungamo, Kabale and parts of Bushenyi districts.

Mukuye’s humble beginnings goes way back to first dealing in bark clothes (embugo) and pots which were quite popular as plates and cooking ware. Using income from these activities, he introduced large scale banana plantations in 1940. By the time of his death, he was a major supplier of bananas and sugar cane to Rukungiri town and surrounding areas.

In 1942, when he visited Buganda, he was fascinated by the riches of the people, particularly their iron roofed houses and motor vehicles, which he was told came from profits of coffee beans. When he returned home, he took back with him a few coffee beans, which he introduced into nurseries to develop the seedlings. This was the beginning of robusta coffee in Rukungiri District – in other words, Mukuye is the one who introduced coffee farming in Rukungiri.

By 1949, they had started harvesting. However, by 1950, his village Kihanga was not easily accessible and it was therefore difficult to market his produce. This is when he single handedly embarked on constructing a 13 kilometer road connecting Kihanga, Buhunga in Rujumbura County – Now Rukungiri District to Kebisoni in Rubabo County. He was later assisted by his two brothers Yusuf Kayole and Musa Magezi.

The Kigezi local government later appreciated this project and sent in road inspectors to help improve the bridges by replacing logs with pipes and concrete culverts.In 1966, the road was commissioned by the then Hon. Minister of works Mr. Katiti.

From the coffee earnings, Mukuye built the first ever iron roofed house in his home sub county of Buhunga in 1953. In the same year, he pioneered the purchase of a motor vehicle, an Opel. He also purchased a Gramophone and a pressure lamp that amazed locals with its amazing lights.

In 1954, Mukuye built the first Mosque in Rukungiri at Nyakaziba and converted many people into Islam. People still recall the Muwalimu he hired from Bukoba in Tanzania to teach Islam to his tribesmen. It was during that year, that Ankole was hit by severe famine, but Mukuye used his personal wealth to minimize it by feeding many children. Many were impressed by his generosity and they converted to Islam.

In 1955, he built another Mosque in Rwakanyegyero. A year later he used his personal funds to put up the first private primary school in Rukungiri called Rwakanyegyero primary school. The school is now under the district local government administration. The school management committee and parents have since submitted a resolution to the authorities seeking to rename the school “Sakibu Mukuye memorial school”.

Despite his being nearly illiterate, Mukuye had the wisdom to invest in educational establishments. In 1956, Mukuye built the first shop in the parishes of Kihanga, Buhunga, Kyariyenje, Mabanga and the neigbouring parishes in Ankole.

A year later, he bought a commercial vehicle, an Austin lorry that he used to ferry materials for the completion of the school. He also used the vehicle to ferry his business merchandise like coffee to the market. This vehicle was later to assist salt traders by ferrying their salt from Lake Katwe.

In 1957, he introduced fish farming by constructing two fish ponds into which he introduced Tilapia.

In 1958, he built another Mosque at Rwakabengo. However this Mosque was destroyed by local residents because it was near Protestant and Catholic churches.

The fruits of Mukuye’s efforts were mostly seen in the early sixties when his formerly remote village Kihanga, became the pride of Rujumbura County (now Rukungiri District) with most villagers putting up iron roofed houses with earnings from the coffee boom. Kihanga became the richest village with parents able to take their children to school. In fact Kihanga can boast of being the earliest source of “school goers” in the early 1960s.

With increased coffee production, Mukuye started a coffee processing factory at Kacence with a cooperative society of over 100 people and he was its treasurer. He had 19 children, 12 girls and 7 boys. These include Sulaiman Semukuye – a councillor and vice chairman Buhunga Sub-county and a member of UMSC General Assembly, Aisha Namigadde, Uthman Kasoma among others. His wives included Mastula Namuka, Mariam Tiratumire, Madiya Bitaragazamu and Asiyati Kemigongo.

In addition to his children, Mukuye supported a number of young Muslims especially those who converted to Islam. He educated them and supported them economically. These include Sulaiman Karuhembe, Ahmada Gagirahi, Abdallah Bwengye, Madina Gagirahi and Abdulkadir Byaruhanga (a Commissioner of UMSC Electoral Commission), Eng. Swaibu Mulinya – former chairman of Mandela National Stadium and many others.

Among those he empowered and prospered in coffee growing were Bataringaya, Kashaija and Rukakurijwa Sebastian.

In his book: “Pearls of Wisdom”, a Turkish Muslim Scholar Fethullah Gulen wrote as follows: “The really long-lived are not those who live long but those who can make their lives as fruitful as possible.

In view of this standard, as there may be those who, though a hundred years old, are truly short-lived, it is also possible that there are those who, though only 15 years old, have been able to attain the highest degrees by dedication their lives to giving as many fruits as possible.”

Haji Sakibu Mukuye was a patriot who served and loved Uganda above himself. He detested selfishness, which is a cancer to most well to do Ugandans. He valued wanainchi more than anybody. His life on this earth was beneficial to many Ugandans. Had he to be alive today, he would be better placed to be in charge of NAADS! This man for sure is among the Muslim heroes of Uganda, though unsung.

The writer is the Public Relations Officer

ANOTHER UGANDAN MUSLIM THAT HAS MADE US PROUD

Professor Mahmood Mamdani (born 23 April 1946) is a Ugandan academic, author and political commentator. He is the Director of the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), the Herbert Lehman Professor of Government at the School of International and Public Affairs and the Professor of Anthropology, Political Science and African Studies at Columbia University.

He is married to Mira Nair, the Indian film director and producer. They met in Kampala, Uganda in 1989 when Nair was researching for her film, the Mississippi Masala. She had read his book The Myth of population Control whilst an undergrad at university and From Citizen to Refugee just before their meeting. They married in 1991 and have a son.

Mamdani is a third generation Ugandan of Indian ancestry. He was born in Mumbai and grew up in Kampala. Both his parents were born in the neighbouring Tanganyika Territory (present day Tanzania). He was educated at the Government Primary School in Dar es Salaam, Government Primary School in Masaka, K.S.I. Primary School in Kampala, Shimoni and Nakivubo Government Primary Schools in Kampala and at Old Kampala Senior Secondary School.

He received a scholarship along with 26 other Ugandan students to study in the United States. The scholarships were part of the independence gift that the new nation had received. Mamdani joined the University of Pittsburgh in 1963 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1967.

He was among the many northern students who made the bus journey south to Birmingham, Alabama organised by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in order to participate in the civil rights movement. He was jailed during the march and was allowed to make a phone call. Mamdani called the Ugandan Ambassador in Washington, D.C for assistance. The ambassador asked him why he was ‘interfering in the internal affairs of a foreign country’ to which he responded by saying that this was not an internal affair but a freedom struggle and that they too had got their freedom only last year.

He then joined The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and graduated in 1968 with a Master of Arts in political science and Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy in 1969. He attained his PhD in government from Harvard University in 1974. His thesis was titled Politics and Class Formation in Uganda.

The Uganda-born Mamdani was named as one of the top 20 public intellectuals by the US Foreign Policy magazine and Prospect (UK) magazine in 2008 and served as the president of the Council for the Development of Social Research in Africa (CODESRIA), Dakar, Senegal, between 1998 and 2002.

He is the author of numerous books and articles, including Saviors and Survivors: Darfur, Politics, and the War on Terror (2009);When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism and Genocide in Rwanda (2001); Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism (1996), which was awarded the Herskovitz Prize of the African Studies Association.

Sheikh Idris Twaibu Lutaaya, the founder of Buziga Theological institute ,Was a Heroe and model to a lot of Muslims

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba

Sheikh Edirisa Twaibu Lutaaya was born in 1941. His father is the late Shk. Twaibu Semwanga of Kikooto Buddu County (Masaka District). He belongs to the Ngonge (otter) clan. His grandfather is Idi Ganyodde of Kawoko Buddu.

In around 1952-53, Shk. Twaib Semwanga’s (father of Shk. Edirisa Lutaaya) house was used as an Islamic Learning Center by Shk. Swaibu Semakula (Shk. Mukulu). Shk. Semwanga made this offer free of Charge for the cause of Islam. Many Muslims benefitted from this center and some were ordained Sheikhs.

Among those ordained were; Shk. Muhammad Mayanja of Kitosi Masaka, Shk. Abdulwahid Musoke of Sseke Masaka, Shk. Mustafa Serwadda of Kitosi, Shk. Abdullatif Kasule of Kikukumbi Masaka, Shk. Abdallah Kakooza of Kikukumbi Masaka (father to Shk. Mahdi Kakooza), Shk. Abubakar Sendege who was in charge of Mauledi at UMSC and Shk. Hussein Walukuli (former District Kadhi Mbale) among others.

His mother is the late Hajat Mariam Namusoke daughter of Shk. Saadi Musoke of Bugona Kawoko in Buddu (Bukomansimbi). She belonged to the Mpologoma (Lion) Clan.

Education

He started studies at Kawoko Muslim Primary School from 1950-54 and later on joined Katuumu (Al – Siddiq Islamic Institute) from where he graduated as a teacher and Sheikh in 1960.

He was ordained (Okumusiba Ekitambaala) by H.E Shk. Swaib Semakula (Shk. Mukulu).

In 1961, at the request of Prince Badru Kakunguku Shk. Edirisa Lutaaya joined Kibuli S.S.S as a Teacher. He taught Islamic Studies and he was the Head of the Islamic Department.

He also served as the deputy Imaam of Kibuli Mosque. While teaching at Kibuli S.S, Shk. Lutaaya attained more secular education with the help of Haji Ntege Lubwama the then headmaster of Kibuli S.S.S.

Between 1963 and 1964, he specialized in Islamic propagation (Daawa) and carried out this noble duty in various parts of Uganda.

From 1967-1972 he worked in Uganda Coffee Marketing Board as a coffee Grader. In 1979, Shk. Lutaaya with Maulana Muhammad Ziwa Kizito, Shk. Zubair Bakar and Shk. Isa Yiga as their Secretary (Shk. Isa Yiga is currently heading the department of Zaka at UMSC), were the first Ugandans to start the Tabliq and Daawa Sect in Uganda. On top of them was Shk. Abdul Wahab Semakula (father to H.E Ambassador Ibrahim Mukiibi) who had started it a bit earlier though single handedly. They were later joined by Shk. Sulaiman Sessanga, Shk. Sirimani Farsi, Shk. Kayiwa Juma Zaid and Shk. Umar Bakar Semakula and many others. Haji Kibuye and Haji Nsereko Mutumba (The author), Haji Ibrahim Mangaasi, Haji Sulaiman Seremba (Flyway Bus), Muhammad Wamala Takuba picked interest in the group and were part of the youth wing.

Later on, many young and vibrant Muslims joined the group. Among them were Haruna Kanaabi, Buyondo and Hussein Musa Njuki (of Shariat Newspaper) among others. The offices of the Tabliq sect were initially at Bilal Islamic Institute (now Bat Valley Theatre). They were later moved to Kamokya and then Nakasero Mosque.

Tabliq gave a platform to young Muslims to express their ideas regarding the practice of Islam, political aspects and other social knowledge. This evolved into what was known as the “Open University” at Nakasero Mosque. Many Muslim intellectuals and young professionals like Hon. Hussein Kyanjo (the now MP Makindye West) were among those who gave inspirational lectures which empowered many Muslim youths. At this time, Amin had just been overthrown and Muslims were facing persecution from state operatives and Christian extremists. The ‘open university’ was one of the platforms used by young Muslim sheikhs and professionals to reorganize themselves politically, spiritually and economically.

The ‘five prayers’ at the Mosque initiative spearheaded by Erias Bisegerwa and other other members of Uganda Muslim Youth Assembly gained momentum, young Muslim preachers who could not preach on Mauledis were given a platform at Nakasero Mosque under the Tabliq sect, Muslims collected money that was used to pay fees for needy Muslim students. Among the beneficiaries of the school fees fund at Nakasero Mosque was Bashir Serunkuma, the Headmaster Namasuba UMEA and many others.

The Tabliq sect later gave birth to groups like Spidiqa Foudation, Jamuiyat Daawa Salafiyya led by Amir Ummah Shk. Muhammad Younus Kamoga, Salaf Foundation and the current Tabliq Community led by Amir Daulah Shk. Sulaiman Kakeeto.

In 1982, Shk. Lutaaya was one of the participants in a refresher course organized by the World Muslim League and he emerged with excellent performance. He was awarded a certificate qualifying him as a universal preacher and Da’i of the Islamic faith.

In 1983, he founded Islamic Center for Education and Research. In 1984, he rented premises at Kanyanya 4kms on Gayaza Road and started a school – Buziga Islamic Theological Institute with seven pupils and four members of staff. In his own words, Shk. Lutaaya popularly called Ustaz by his students said; “the seven pioneer pupils was so small a number, but meant a lot to this whole new idea”. These were: Asaad Lukwago, Wasswa Hassan, Yusuf Jjemba, Badru Mpindi, Rashida Mujuzi, Sarah Nakalule and Ashraf Katende.

The pioneer members of staff of Buziga Islamic Theological Institute were;
Shk. Muhammad Mukiibi – Head of Islamic and Religious Department,
Hajat Sarah Nakabuye – Headmistress,
Rose Nakayiza (late) – Nurse,
Safina Namalwa – Matron and
Badru Busagwa (late) – Warden.

In 1985, Shk. Lutaaya bought 20 acres of land in Buziga and in the following year the school was shifted from Kanyanya to its new swampy home in Buziga but larger than the previous one.

In 1990, the British Council named Buziga Islamic theological Institute as the model school for the child-to-child program in the country. Since then, the school was dubbed Award Winner in very many aspects.

Islamic Projects initiated by Shk. Lutaaya:

Earlier on in 1980s, Shk. Lutaaya had established the Islamic Center for Education and Research (ICFER); a Muslim founded social, cultural and education organisation. Under this organisation, he set up numerous Muslim projects which continue to support Muslims in Uganda. These include Mosques, clinics, Quran memorization centers and schools among others.

Mosques and other projects under the supervision of ICFER:
• Masjid Ibun Taymiya – Kikooto, Masaka
• Masjid Abi Ayoub Al-Answar – Tororo
• Masjid Salman Al-Faris – Kajansi
• Masjid Ali Bun Abi Talib – Kiwangala, Masaka
• Masjid Abu-Baker – Entebbe
• Masjid Mus-abi Bun Umar – Kyankole, Masaka
• Masjid Sswahaaba – Kagoyegoye Masaka

Clinics:
• Kawoko Health Center – Masaka
• Buziga Islamic Health Center

– Kampala Quran Memorisation Schools:
• Buziga Islamic Quran Memorisation center located at Buziga Islamic Theological Institute Schools:

Sheikh Lutaaya through the Islamic center for Education and Research established four schools in different parts of Uganda. These are:
• Buziga Islamic Theological Institute – Kampala
• Makerere Valley Islamic Nursery and Primary School – Kampala • Kikooto Islamic Primary School – Masaka
• Buyita Islamic Primary School – Kasawo

Other Structures set up by ICFER:
• Imam’s Quarters at Kajjansi
• Hostel for New Muslim converts

In addition to being a teacher and preacher, Shk. Lutaaya was an author. Among the books he authored include;
• ‘Doctrine, Correct Worship and Character in Islam’
• ‘Knowledge, source of faith and character
• ‘Okulunggamya Omukazi Omusiraamu” (Spiritual guidance of a Muslim Woman)

Others services offered by Sheikh Lutaaya:
• Supporting orphans in various schools.
• Organizing seminars for Sheikhs and Imams

Sheikh Lutaaya was passionate about young Muslims and he was always quick to act whenever it came to issues of empowering Muslim youth with knowledge, skills and otherwise. During his studies at Katuumu, his principal teacher and mentor was Shk. Muhamood Katende son of H.E Shk. Swaib Semakula (Shk. Mukulu). He studied with Shk. Zubair Bakar, Shk. Ali Sekyembe, Shk. Ibrahim Kivumbi, Maulana Muhammad Ziwa Kizito and many others.

By joining Katuumu Islamic School, he had the opportunity to go to the same school with Shk. Zubair Kayongo, Shk. Ahmad Mukasa, Shk. Saad Luwemba, Shk. Ishaaq Yusuf of Mbale, Dr. Abdul-kadir Balonde and many others. These were already at an advanced stage of studies when he joined.

Family

Among his brothers are Shk Ibrahim Kivumbi (with whom he studied at Katuumu) currently living at Katovu, Kajjansi on Entebbe Road, Shk. Hussein Kimbowa a teacher at Kitante Primary School and Muhammad M. Kabogoza of Kyankoore, Butuga in Bukomansimbi.

Shk. Lutaaya had 4 wives and these include: Hajat Nuru Nantongo Lutaaya, Hajat Nusifa Namutebi Nalongo Lutaaya and Hajat Fatuma Muhammad Lutaaya. We could not establish the name of the forth one.

He had 22 children and 12 of these are graduates. The rest are still persuing their studies. The graduates include: Yusuf Jemba, Abbas Lutaaya, Sadat Lutaaya, Ahmad Kimbowa, Mariam Nakiwala, Laila Lunkuse, Sumayya Nalutaaya and Faruk Buyungo. Some of these have first degrees and others have master’s degrees.

He died on Saturday night June 14th 2014 and he was buried on Sunday 15th at Kawempe Mbogo where Prince Nuhu Mbogo was buried.

Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish Muslim scholar and author wrote; “Since real ‘life’ is possible only through knowledge, those who neglect learning and teaching are considered ‘dead’ even though they are still alive, for we were created to learn and to communicate what we have learned to others. Those who are truly human continue to learn, teach and inspire others. It is difficult to regard as truly human those who are ignorant and have no desire to learn. It is also questionable whether a learned person, who does not pursue self-renewal and self-reform and thereby set an example for others, is truly human.”

Gulen goes on to say that those who enlighten others, seek happiness for them, and extend helping hands. They are like guardian angles that have such a developed and enlightened spirit. They struggle with disasters befalling society, stand up to ‘storms’, hurry to put out ‘fire’ and are always on the alert for possible shocks. He however cautions that although science and all branches of knowledge are beneficial to almost everyone, one cannot possibly acquire all of them, for according to him, people’s life spans and resources are limited. “

Therefore, learn and use only that which benefits yourself and humanity at large. Do not waste your life” Gulen states.

In the Holy Quran, Allah asks; “Who is better in speech than one who calls (men) to Allah, works righteousness and says – I am of those who bow in Islam”? Quran 41:33. Dear readers, after reading all the above narratives, what have you decided to call this man? Unless you have issues against this famous Ustaz which I don’t think you do; for sure he is a Muslim Hero though unsung.

The writer is the Spokesperson Uganda Muslim Supreme Council Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504 Email: pro_umsc@yahoo.com

Haji Ramadhan Sebuliba was the first Muslim to open an account in Standard Bank in 1935

HAJJI SEBULIBA[ father to hajji Nsereko Sebuliba]

Haji Ramadhan Sebuliba was born in 1901, in Katooma village, Rugaaga Sub-county, Insingiro County (now Insingiro District) – Ankole Kingdom. His father was Asumani Male Bamulanzettama Omujungute son of Musuuza of Tiribogo – Buzimwa Mawokota in Buganda Kingdom. He belonged to the Ekkobe clan. His mother was Zuhura Nakate who belonged to the Enjovu (elephant) clan. She was a daughter to Mawongoma of Lwatoote village in Lwamagwa – Kooki chiefdom (Rakai District).

Bamulanzettama is one of those who took part in the religious wars under King Nuhu Kalema Kasinjo. Those who fought in defense of Islam were popularly known as Abajungute. After the defeat of Muslims in 1889, they migrated to Bukanga in Ankole under the leadership of Kawuzi, Abdallah Afende and many others. When they reached Bukanga, they fought and defeated a local chief known as Kanyabuzaana. They then settled there and started propagating Islam. They established an Islamic education center at Kyarubambura. Their leader Kawuzi was ambushed and killed by Kanyabuzaana’s men. They buried him in a nearby ditch used for making Sweet banana juice (Omubisi).

Muslims later stabilized and established Kyarubambura Primary school which remains very strong in Rugaaga Sub county and surrounding areas. The school did a lot in strengthening Muslim education in the area. Among the many Muslims who studied in the school include Haji Nsereko Mutumba the UMSC Spokesperson, Dr. Ahmad Sengendo the Rector IUIU, H.E Mull Katende – Uganda Ambassador to Ethiopia to mention but a few.

BUSINESS

Haji Ramadhan Sebuliba started cattle trading with his father in 1929. The used to buy them from different cattle gazzeted markets of Ankole and transported them on foot to Nakasozi (Buddo) abattoir. Then after the abattoirs were shifted to various locations which included Kabojja, Nalukolongo and then city abattoir and Kyetume in Kyaggwe (Mukono) respevtively. They later started transporting the animals by Lorries and other means of transport.

Haji Sebuliba was a close business associate of one Mpanga senior the father of Y. Walusimbi Mpanga, the Mayor of Kampala during Amin’s time. Mpaga was the proprietor of Mpanga Garage at Dewinton road which is the sole importer of Toyota vehicles from Japan.

After Mpanga Sr’s death, Haji Sebuliba continued to work with his successor Y. Walusimbi Mpaga of Mutundwe. He demonstrated high levels of honesty in his dealings with others. This earned him a lot of trust and wealth.

In 1930, he was among the first Ugandans to buy a motor cycle. Haji Ramadhan Sebuliba later left Mbarara and moved to Mugongo where he settled on a piece of land sold to him by his uncle Sowedi Kasumba.

In 1935 when the city abattoir was built, Haji Sebuliba was among the first traders to get a stall there. His stall was number 7. Other prominent traders who had stalls in the city abattoir were Jamanoor, a prominent Somali trader, Ali Yusuf – another Somali trader and Esau Mukasa (father of Mukasa of VIVA Enterprises), Yowasi Sebuliba and many others.

When Standard Bank was established in Uganda in 1935, Haji Sebuliba was the first Muslim to open an account in this bank and the second Ugandan after Walusimbi Mpanga. He was given an award for being one of the leading bankers.

In 1950, he left Mugongo and went to Kazinga – Kikajjo in Nsagi Subcounty, Busiiro County; where he set up his permanent home. Haji Sebuliba was among the first Ugandans to buy a brand new Chovlet car in 1950. He drove different types of cars since 1930 until he died on 11th October 1986 leaving behind a blue 250 S Mercedes Benz.

In 1960, he was among the first black Africans to own a petrol station on Salama road called Mobil Gas operated by his elder son Yusuf Kayiwa the late. In 1962, he single handedly took electricity to his area Kazinga enabling community members to connect power cheaply and easily. He used to supply meat in Nakasero, Kibuye, Mengo, Kisenyi, Katwe and other markets. This was in addition to the many butcheries that he owned including one in Nateete and another on Jinja road near African basic foods.

FAMILY

Haji Ramadhan Sebuliba had three wives. One of them was Janat Natooro, daughter to Mr Kayizi of Buddu (Masaka District). Mr. Kayizi was lucky because some of his daughters got married to very important and prominent people in Buganda and Uganda. Lady Drucila Namaganda Nabagereka got married to King Sir Daudi Chwa the father of Sir Edward Mutesa II. Janat Natooro, the young sister to Drucila got married to Haji Ramadhan Sebuliba, a prominent cattle trader and Nakalawa the younger sister to Janat Natooro got married to Leonard Basudde, a very rich businessman born in Naluzali Masaka and had one of his homes in Busega (the snakes).

Haji Ramadhan Sebuliba together with Matiya Wamala; the father in law of late President Yusuf Lule) hosted King Mutesa II in Kikajjo on several occasions. These two were very close because one of Haji Sebuliba’s sisters Norah Nassimbwa was married to Matiya.

In the 1960s, Haji Ramadhan Sebuliba was among the first Muslims to import cows from Musoma, Bukoba and Mwanza in Tanzania. These cows used to come by ship from Mwanza to port Luzira. Each ship used to carry 270 cows and he used to bring 4 ships in every month. The cows were looked after in Luzira ‘Munsiri’. He also imported cows from Kenya. These came by train.

During Amin’s time, he was one of Ugandan businessmen who used to export cows from meat parkers to Libya. At the city abattoir, Haji Sebuliba made sure that there is a special package for Sheikhs. Each Shk. was entitled to 10Ibs (5kgs) of meat every Saturday. In addition to the meat package, Haji Sebuliba helped many Sheikhs by giving them money to sustain them during their work of carrying out Islamic propagation (Daawa). Among the Sheikhs he supported were: Shk. Leeta Akubulide (former Twale Sheikh of Kyadondo), Shk. Masuudi Katabula of Namagoma, Shk. Umar Dumba – a renowned Quran reciter, Shk. Kassimu Mulumba – former Mufti, Shk. Abdu Wahab of Namagoma, Shk. Yusuf Kasujja (a prominent Juma and Zukuli cleric), Shk. Abdunoor Busulwa of Mitweetwe Butambala, Shk. Abdunoor Kawooya of Mpongo Singo (father to Shk. Lunaanoba President General Juma Zukuli group in Uganda), Shk. Male of Seeta Butambala, Shk. Abdurahman Mivule – Pioneer President General of Juma and Zukuli, Shk. Zubairi Kayongo – leader of Kibuli, Shk. Ibrahim Nkangi – former District Kadhi West Buganda and several others. He facilitated them especially during the holy month of Ramadhan to conduct Daawa programs in different Mosques and areas in the country. Although very rich, Mzee Sebuliba was humble and disciplined. He had much love and respect for Sheikhs. Sheikh Rajab Kakooza – the UMSC Director of Sharia and Shk. Umar Dumba the renowned Quran reciter can bear witness to this.

He was very instrumental in making sure that Shk. Hussein Rajab Kakooza, a Juma and Zukuli sect student attains high and sound religious education. He supported him until he attained the required qualifications and Haji Sebuliba was pleased to witness this in his lifetime. Haji Ramadhan Sebuliba had two sisters and four brothers. These included Haji Hamisi Busulwa of Jokolera – Kyaddondo, Idi Nsereko who stayed in Mbarara, Muhammad male of Kyaggwe, Aisa Nababi of Kiti-Kyadondo and Fatuma Nasimbwa.

On 25th Jan 1971, his brother Idi Nsereko of Mbarara died and left a family of 21 children 5 boys, 16 girls and 3 wives. Haji Ramadhan Sebuliba brought the entire family to his home in Kikajjo and took care of all their needs until many children finished their studies, got married and started businesses with his support. This was in addition to his own 15 children who included the author – Haji Nsereko Mutumba.

His brother Idi Nsereko left over 1000 cows and many other properties and Haji Sebuliba never tampered with them. He instead looked after the properties until the children were grown up enough to take over. He then invited Shk. Ibrahim Nkangi the then District Kadhi of West Buganda to distribute the properties to the children in line with the Sharia.

Haji Ramadhan Sebuliba contributed immensely to the development of Islam by carrying out various activities. Some of them are: Haji Sebuliba bought all the roofing materials and paid for the labour of roofing Nyendo Old Mosque in Masaka Bunyiri Mosque in Kyaggwe (Mukono), Kasangati Mosque which is currently the Twale Headquarter of Kyadondo, Namagoma Mosque (1954).

He personally facilitated Shk. Masudi Katabula to lead and conduct Islamic studies to Muslims in the Mosque. Haji Sebuliba is one of those who bought the land where Masjid Jamia in Katwe is situated. After the construction of the Mosque, he bought roofing materials, tiles and also paid for the labour of roofing and fixing tiles at the compound. At his home in Kikajjo, he built a mosque which is still operational.

1n 1982, he personally funded the surveying of the hitherto neglected 12 acres of Muslim land in Nateete Town and secured its title in the names of UMSC and handed it over to Shk. Khaabi Kinene (The then Twale Sheikh of Nateete). He removed all the squatters on this land including his own relative – Peter Nsereko who had constructed a garage on it. This land had been given to Muslims by colonialists.

Peter Nsereko and many others hated Haji Sebuliba for this action but Allah protected him from harm. He also secured land titles for the plots at the Old-Nsambu Mosque in upper Nateete area. At this place is where 60 Arabs were burnt in 1865 by the Christian army commanded by Sir Macnold. Sir Macnold is the one who replaced the famous Captain Lugard after his retirement. He was a member of the board of trustees for both Nateete town land and Nateete Nsambu Mosque. He is one of the signatories on both land titles up to now.

Haji Ramadhan Sebuliba is the one who constructed the first fully equipped classroom thereby kick starting the construction of Natete Primay School. From 1960s, when Prince Badru Kakungulu was in charge of Muslim affairs, Haji Sebuliba and Haji Nasibu Mukasa of Bweyogere, were put in charge of organizing Kibuli annual Mauledis, a task he carried out until 1972 when UMSC was formed. He concurrently used to contribute at least a 100kg bag of rice for Juma and Zukuli, Ramadhan welcoming Mauledi which is organized by Juma and Zukuli group at Kyadondo Mosque annually. He did this until his death and his family is still doing the same.

At UMSC headquarters Old Kampala, Haji Sebuliba was put in charge of procuring all food items to be served on the Mauledi, him being the main contributor of items. In 1975, Haji Ramadhan Sebuliba together with the late Haji Sultan Kareebu, Haji Nuhu Nabwaaga, Haji Hudu Matovu and others sat and decided to complete Kyadondo Mosque. They each contributed UGX 200,000 to erect the pillars on which the roof was to be made. After the pillars were erected, the roofing was eventually done by Shk. Hussein Rajab Kakooza’s effort.

Mzee Sebuliba was a family man. He loved his family and made their lives easy. He had family lawyers and family doctors. The family doctors were; Dr. Patel and Dr. Kanyerezi who later became a professor in medicine. His personal and family lawyers were; Maclin, Kazoora and company Advocates, Kasozi and Luganda Advocates and Kawanga & Kasule Advocates. As the business was expanding, some managers and accountants became fraudulent.

In 1970, he made sure that one his sons, Nsereko Mutumba (the author of this series) joins Nakawa College of Commerce (now MUBS) to study business so that eventually he can come and manage his business. He stayed there for two years and came out with a first class diploma in business studies (UDBS) and in 1973, he took over the management of the business. Some of his children are:
– The late Haji Sulaiman Mutumba – recently profiled as an unsung Muslim hero;
-The late Haji Ali Male Musuuza who has a textile shop at Nakivubo Mews;
– the late Haji Muhammad Busulwa who was a veterinary doctor and
-Shk. Muhammad Kayongo a graduate of Al-Azhar University in Egypt.

He died on 1st October 1986 and he was buried at Mugongo – Nsangi in Wakiso District next to his father Asumani Male Bamulanzettama. In the Quran 28:77, Allah says: “But seek, with the (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on thee, the home of the hereafter, nor forget the portion in this world: but do thou good, as Allah has been good to thee and seek not (Occasions for) mischief in the land: for Allah loves not those who do mischief.” Quran 9:18: “The Mosques of Allah shall be visited and maintained by such as believe in Allah and the last day, establish regular prayers and practice regular charity and fear none (at all) except Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance” Mzee Sebuliba did all that is prescribed in the Holy Quran.

He did what was worth for the earth (Duniya) and what was worth for the hereafter. He loved and respected his religious leaders; he contributed within his means to develop Islam. He loved his king and he was fortunate enough to have been an uncle to one of the most loved King Fredie as he was popularly known. He got one of his wives from a famous family where the mother of king Fredie was born.

Mzee Sebuliba was atrue Muslim who did what it takes to develop and protect Islam. According to the fore recorded Ayas (verses), he tried to fulfill the commandments of Allah as stipulated in the mentioned Suras (chapters). Basing on the above, Mzee Ramadhan Sebuliba do qualify to be a Muslim hero though unsung. Finally, I am proud to have that loving father may his soul rest in Jana.

The writer is the son to the unsung hero and the Public Relations Officer – Uganda Muslim Supreme Council Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504 Email: pro_umsc@yahoo.com

Al Hajji Sulaiman Mutumba: cousin brother to Mutesa 11 and donor of the land where Bilal Islamic Institute was built!

Hajji Sulaiman Mutumba

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba

Al Hajji Sulaiman Mutumba was born in 1945 at Namirembe Hospital. He belonged to the kobe clan. His father was Al-Hajji Ramadhan Sebuliba from Kikajjo in Busiro County (Wakiso district). His mother was Janat Natooro of the “Ente” (cow) clan who was a daughter to Kaizi of Masaka, father to Lady Drucila Namaganda Nabagereka (wife to Sekabaka Sir Daudi Chwa).

Lady Drucila Namaganda Nabagereka was the mother to Sir Edward Mutesa II. Sulaiman Mutumba was therefore a cousin brother to Sir Edward Mutesa II. His grandfather was Omujungute /religious wars Muslim veteran Asumani Male Bamulanze Ttama and his grandmother was Zuhura Nakate of Enjovu (Elephant) clan.

Education:

He went to Namagoma Muslim P/S and later Aggrey P/S for his primary education. While in Namagoma, he got his Islamic education from Shk. Masudi Katabula, a prominent Sheikh of Juma and Zukuli group in Uganda based at Kawempe Kyadondo. He then joined Kololo SSS and later Ndejje SSS for his O and A levels secondary education.

He then joined Makerere University College from where he graduated with Bachelor of Art political science.

1966 crisis:

During the invasion of Mengo Palace by forces royal to Obote in 1966, he got his short gun – double barrel and joined the fight in defense of King Mutesa II. Although the palace fell to Obote’s forces and the King went into exile, he was proud to have fought in defense of his King and his cousin brother. He loved his king very much and was always yearning for a federal government until his death.

Business man:

He was very enterprising when it came to business and this later made him a very prominent business man. In 1975, he was the first Ugandan Muslim to start a fully registered company called Ivory Dealers Uganda Limited, dealing in Ivory Tusks. He was among the first black Muslim to rent an Executive office on the then most expensive building in Kampala which was called IPS building owned by the Aghakhan establishments.

In the late 1973s, he was the first Muslim to buy land at Mutundwe and constructed a magnificent home. Mutumdwe was then a preserve for prominent non-Muslims who included former President Godfrey Lukongwa Binaisa and a prominent businessman called Y. Walusimbi Mpanga. Walusimbi Mpanga was the mayor of Kampala during Amin’s time.

Marriage Trip to Zaire:

In 1974, he hired a plane and over 20 vehicles when he was going to Kisangani – Zaire (DRC) to marry his wife Zamrad Mutumba. He held a colorful reception at his home in Mutundwe and hired Grand Hotel for all services. Among those who accompanied him to Kisangani (apart from his relatives) were Shk. Umar Dumba and Shk. Abdukadir Mbogo who with their counterparts in Zaire performed Nikah.

The organizers of the wedding included the late Eng.Yunus Mpagi, Juma Yusuf Walusimbi (now in Tropical Bank), T.S. Mukasa (now in Uganda Manufacturers Association), Badru Bunkeddeko (the former deputy Kaggo of Buganda) among others.

Around 1979, his office at IPS building was vandalized following the collapse of Amin’s government. He decided to leave Ivory business and established a modern farm called Ntuuti farmers in Buruli (Nakasongola district).

He later shifted the farm to Kakiri where he bought 600 acres of land from which he donated 40 acres to Bilal Islamic Institute. His widow is still staying at Kakiri.

In 1980, he and the late Mufti of Uganda Shk. Kassim Mulumba founded the Quran society of Uganda and he was the pioneer chairman of the society.

In 1980-81, he was one of the delegates elected by Shk. Kassim Mulumba’s side to take part in the amending of the 1972 UMSC constitution under the chairmanship of Gasamallah Mubarak Zaid.

In 1986, he was one of the signatories of the Makka Agreement which culminated into the current UMSC constitution which was adopted and promulgated in 1987. Others being: Maulana Abdul Razak Matovu, Shk. Kassim Mulumba, Shk. Abdu Obeid Kamulegeya, Shk. Zubair Kayongo, Al Haji Juma Yusuf Walusimbi, Shk. Anas Abdunoor Kaliisa and Al Haji Isa Khalifa Lukwago. These were representatives of the two groups of from Uganda i.e. one group for the late Shk. Kassim Mulumba and another group for Shk. Obeid Kamulegeya respectively. The late Kassim Mulumba was claiming to be the Mufti of Uganda based at Lubaga Road Mosque (Kabalaza) and Shk. Abdu Obeid Kamulegeya was also claiming to be the substantive Mufti of Uganda based at Old Kampala – UMSC Headquarters.

The mediation in this exercise was initiated and sponsored by the World Muslim League officials headquartered in Makka. On the side of the WML, the signatories were; Mohammad M. Omar Jamjoom, Ahmed Bahafzallah, Ameed Aqeel, Abdul Hamid Qutub and Katem Hassan Qadi. The witness to the agreement was Asumani Mbubi from Uganda. Al Haji Sulaiman Mutumba was one of those who fought very hard to see that UMSC is led by a learned and capable leader/Sheikh with required qualifications in Islam and possibly secular. He further made sure that there must be constitutionalism at UMSC (system).

Bilal Islamic institute:

In 1993, Al Haji Sulaiman Mutumba donated 10 acres of land at Kakiri where Bilal Islamic Institute was built after shifting from the current Kiseka market place where it used to be, and later on he added on 30 acres of land on which the Bilal Islamic Institute is currently situated.

In 1981, he served as the Chairman of UMSC Hijja Committee then based at Wandegeya. During his service, he used to top up Hijja expenses for those Muslims who were unable to raise all the money for Hajj. Sheikh Umar Dumba can bear testimony to this.

Children:

Haji Sulaiman Mutumba had twelve children – seven boys and five girls. Four of these are already graduates in different fields. Four are in Islamic University in Uganda and four in lower classes.

He died on 1st May 1993 Inna lillaahi Wainna Ilaihi Rajiuna. Haji Sulaiman Mutumba loved his King, Haji Mutumba loved his religion, and he loved and respected his religious leaders. Mutumba was loyal to his religious leaders. He was a down to earth Muslim, very hardworking and a progressive entrepreneur. Basing on the Holy Quran Surat Al-Anfal in which Allah says: “Who establish regular prayers and spend (freely) out of the gifts we have given them for sustenance. Such in truth are the believers: they have grades of dignity with their lord and forgiveness, and generous sustenance” (Quran 8:3-4) Haji Sulaiman Mutumba was a true believer. May Allah the Almighty reward him. Apart from what I have managed to pen down on this paper, Haji Sulaiman Mutumba made many contributions to Islam, but mostly the 40 acres of land at Kakiri donated to Muslim of Uganda and the world at large qualifies him to be a Muslim hero though unsung.

THE 170 YEARS OF ISLAM IN UGANDA( BY ABDULHAMID MPOZA)

Whoever ignores history, philosophers argue, might not be in position to move forward. They add that self-evaluation is vital in overcoming mistakes and doing more valuable works. One hundred and seventy years later, this is the highlight of the celebration of this remarkable milestone in the Islamic community. According to Uganda National Population and Housing Census 2002, Muslims constitute 12.5 per cent of the population. However, the CIA Fact Book puts the figure at 16 per cent.

Tracing the roots
The roots of Islam can be traced to the 17th century in the era of coastal trade. According to Muhammad Sekatawa, a historian, it was the Sudanese Muslim soldiers employed by Khedive Ismail of Egypt who brought Islam to northern Uganda, West Nile and some parts of Bunyoro in the 1830s. He and Musa Khalil, the Acholi District Khadhi revealed that before the 1830s, some Egyptian, Sudanese and Turkish traders had penetrated northern Uganda hunting for slaves as early as the 17th century. They established trade routes and introduced Islam informally wherever they passed. Later, the Nubian soldiers strengthened the Islamic influence in Acholi through intermarriages.

Prof A.B.K. Kasozi says Islam was introduced in Buganda in 1844 when the Arab traders received a warm welcome from then Kabaka of Buganda, Suuna II (1824-1854). It is important to note however that the traders were not propropagators of Islam. It was through their commercial and social contacts that indigenous Africans adopted the new faith. Suuna’s son, Muteesa I, accepted Islam and worked towards its propagation within and outside the kingdom. Islam was at the peak in Buganda and Uganda generally between 1860s and 1870s and Prof Kasozi refers to this period as the golden age of Islam.

In Busongora, western Uganda, Islam was introduced by Arab traders from Tanzania through Nyamitanga in Mbarara and the Baganda who were in exile due to wars. Yet the traders from East African coast, Sir Samuel Baker’s Muslims soldiers and Baganda chiefs introduced Islam in eastern Uganda. Sheikh Abdallah Sabila, the Kapchorwa Muslim District Khadhi, says it was three soldiers having got Islamic influence in Egypt and Mombasa who introduced Islam in the Sebei land.

Spreading its wings
The Arab traders and soldiers did their part in introducing Islam to different parts of Uganda through commercial and social interaction as Sekatawa argues. The influence of Buganda Kingdom appears to be clear as an important factor in the spread of Islam in Uganda.

Muteesa I embraced Islam and taught it. Kalema (1888-1890) embraced Islam, got circumcised and fought for Islam. Prince Nuhu Mbogo (1833-1921) led Muslims and fought for it and his son, Prince Badru Kakungulu (1907-1991), made remarkable contributions to Islam that are still visible, for example the formation of Uganda Muslim Education Association (UMEA) in 1940s.

Prominent elders like Sheikh Swaibu Semakula and Juma Tamusange started teaching Islam in their homes later. Mosques were established as well and their verandas acted as schools. Maulana Sheikh Abdurazaq Matovu, the first Mufti of Uganda, introduced the formal teaching of Islam in a school environment with a syllabus between 1963 and 1964 when he established Nadwat-Ulama (currently known as Bilal Schools Bwaise).

Celebrating the strides
As the community draws closer to marking two centuries of existence, faithfuls look back with optimist and festivity at the strides over the years. Imam Idi Kasozi, Vice Chairman Uganda Muslim Youth Assembly, believes that Muslims ought to be grateful to Allah for continued existence and remarkable developments they have made to Uganda as a nation. “Muslims have been in all political struggles of Uganda.

Uganda National Congress had the late Abu Mayanja, Idi Amin Dada’s reign was also an achievement for Uganda, the first NRA army commander Ahmed Seguya was a Muslim and many NRA fighters were proud to associate with Muslim names. People like Salim Saleh, Chef Ali, and Shaban Bantariza still maintain such names,” he says.

Education by far has been an area of pride for the community since 1935 with the traditional academic giants like Kibuli, Nabisunsa, Kawempe and Gombe leading the lot. Statistically, there are over 1,500 Muslim-founded primary schools, more than 160 Muslim secondary schools, five technical institutions, two primary Muslim teacher training colleges and two universities.

Nearly in all cases these figures above represent 10 per cent of the general national picture. “We have greatly made a contribution in education sector. IUIU alone has graduated more than 17,000 students in different fields and we have expanded the university into four campuses to benefit all people in the region. Our impact is in about 16 African countries that send us students,” remarks Dr Ahmad Kaweesa Sengendo, The Rector, Islamic University in Uganda.

IUIU, an affiliated institution of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), was established by an Act of Parliament in 1988. The late Idi Amin Dada registered Uganda in OIC by 1974 and Uganda as a country has benefited from this institution especially through the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

REMEMBERING SHABAN NKUTU

Shaban Nkutu

Shaban Kirunda Nkutu disappeared and died at the violent hands of Idi Amin in 1973 with one of the most outstanding personal records of public service and national development in the history of Ugandan Cabinet Ministers.

As Minister of Health (1966-67), he oversaw the construction of 21 regional referral hospitals and the establishment of a free, quality, national healthcare system. Prior to this period, Uganda’a referral hospitals were limited to Mulago and the Grade B hospital at Entebbe.s

As Minister of Works, Housing, Transport and Communications, he laid the foundation for Uganda’s post-independence infrastructural foundation. Nkutu, who inherited a murram national road system, was the father of Uganda’s national tarmac road network, the national landline telephone and postal services system, the [then] new Entebbe International Airport, regional airfields, quality bus and rail transport services and the National Housing and Construction Corporation, which built Crested Towers, Serena Hotel and the International Conference Centre as well as housing estates across the country, including the Bugolobi and Bukoto Housing estates in Kampala. He also oversaw the establishment of East African Airlines and the ports and ferries on Uganda’s lake shore, at Port Bell and Jinja, in addition to the Kalangala and Lake Kyoga ferries

Shaban Nkutu was born in Nakibembe village, Bugweri County, Iganga District on November 15, 1930. His parents were the late Haji Ausi Kirunda and the late Zafalan Namuwaya.

The Nkutu family belongs to one of the 11 royal clans of the Basoga known as the Baisemenha who are direct descendants of the Bunyoro royal family. The clan traces its roots to the migrant Munyoro Prince Kakaire, son of Omukama Agutamba Nyamutukura, then King of Bunyoro. The clan’s name “Menha,” which means “to break,” is derived from the clan’s break-away from Bunyoro, following a violent royal succession battle. The Baisemenha clan put down its roots in Bugweri County.

The young Nkutu became the beneficiary of a clan tradition handed down by Baisemenha clan leaders of earlier generations to focus the very limited financial resources available – not on their biological heirs – but on the education and career development of whichever young man best embodied Bugweri’s best hopes in its future generations to provide national leadership in Uganda.

Following this tradition, Prince Muwaabe (grandfather of former Deputy Premier Ali Muwaabe Kirunda Kivejinja) – who had assumed leadership of Bugweri after its last pre-colonial Chief Menha Munhuulo had been deposed and exiled to Kenya by the British – decided to groom not his own son Salim Kivejinja but instead another young Prince, Zirabamuzaale (father of Iganga Woman MP Beatrice Zirabamuzaale Magoola) who became Secretary General of Busoga.

Zirabamuzaale was one of the first 3 Africans in the Legco (the Legislative Council), along with Sir Apollo Kaggwa of Buganda and Nyangabyaki of Bunyoro. Zirabamuzaale in turn groomed and placed the clan’s hopes for representation and a role in post-independence Uganda on his nephew Shaban Kirunda Nkutu, whose mother had managed to get him to complete primary school. Under Zirabamuzaale, Nkutu was mentored for national leadership.

The young Shaban Nkutu studied at Mwiri College and was trained at Kibuli and Makerere College as a teacher. He was one of the first Muslims in Uganda to get a secular education. During his twenties, he served as a teacher and later as a headmaster at Bwala, in Masaka.

Across Africa in the 1950s, it was common for educated African teachers, then a rarity, such as Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, to emerge as nationalist leaders. It was during this period that Nkutu became involved with the nationalist movement for Uganda’s independence, first through the Uganda National Congress (UNC) and later the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC). He had earlier met Uganda’s future Prime Minister, Milton Obote, during secondary school at Mwiri and the two were close friends.

On the eve of independence, in April 1962, Nkutu, with the backing of Prince Zirabamuzaale and the populous and well organized Baisemenha clan (which produced Chiefs in the area), stood for and was elected to Parliament on the ticket of UPC to represent Busoga South East constituency, which comprised of the present day Bugweri and Kigulu counties (Iganga District), Bunya County (Mayuge District) and the whole of Bugiri and Namayingo Districts. He represented Busoga South East in Parliament until the military overthrow of the Obote I government by Idi Amin on January 25, 1971.

During this 9-year period, Shaban Nkutu served as Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Affairs in the Office of The Prime Minister (1962-63), Deputy Minister of Education (1963-64), Deputy Minister of Works (1964-66), UPC Government Chief Whip/ Minister in Parliament (1964-66), Minister of Health (1966-67) and Minister of Works, Housing, Transport and Communications (1967-71). He was also the National Chairman of the Uganda Peoples Congress (1968-73).

One of the legacies of Shaban Nkutu’s service in Cabinet of Uganda is that most Presidents of Uganda have appointed a Cabinet Minister from his family. Nkutu’s nephew Wanume Kibedi (now Chairman of the Immigration Control Board) served the Amin government as Foreign Minister from 1971-73 and served Museveni as an Ambassador.

Another nephew, Dr John Luwuliza-Kirunda, served the second Obote government as Minister of Internal Affairs and Secretary General of UPC from 1981-85 while a third nephew, Kirunda Kivenjinja, has served the Museveni government as a Minister in several portfolios since 1986 and was until recently the 3rd Deputy Prime Minister. With Hon. Adoko Nekyon and others, he co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Muslims (NAAM), the precursor to today’s Uganda Muslim Supreme Council.

As a political leader, Shaban Nkutu is mostly remembered for his service as Minister of Health in 1966 and as Minister of Works, Housing, Transport and Communications from 1967-71. During his time in the Works Ministry, Nkutu was served as Permanent Secretary and Engineer in Chief by Uganda’s pioneer African engineer, James Zikusooka, who died on January 30, 2012.

In September 2008, Zikusooka, long retired, wrote the following letter to the Mayor of Jinja Municipality:

“I wish to formally recommend to Jinja Municipal Council, the re-naming of a road after the Late Hon. Shaban Kirunda Nkutu, M.P., who was one of the greatest sons of Jinja, Busoga and Uganda in the years following independence. I wish to support my proposal with a summary of the late Minister’s achievements in the service of Uganda.”

“I served as Permanent Secretary and Engineer-in-Chief of the Ministry of Works, Housing, Transport and Communications during the period 1967-71 when Hon. Shaban Nkutu, then M.P. for Busoga South East was Cabinet Minister in charge of that portfolio. My late Minister initiated, planned, obtained funds for, oversaw the execution, completion, upgrade and/or maintenance of hundreds of infrastructure projects across Uganda, including, but not limited to the few I have highlighted below:

• Pakwach Bridge (West Nile)
• Almost all the tarmac roads built in Uganda after independence, beyond the Entebbe-Kampala axis
• The New Entebbe International Airport
• Soroti Flying School
• Airfields and aerodromes in most of the original 18 districts of Uganda
• International Conference Centre and Nile Hotel (now Serena Hotel and Conference Centre)
• The dual carriage-way from Jinja to Kakira
• Iganga-Tirinyi Road
• The Pakwach-Arua Highway (West Nile)
• The Gulu-Pakwach road
• The Kampala-Mbarara-Ntungamo Highway
• The Ntungamo-Kabale Highway
• The Kampala-Mityana Highway
• The Kampala-Gulu Highway
• Most of the feeder roads in the coffee-cotton-matooke areas of Butembe and Bugabula in Busoga
• First Class Murram roads in all the areas of the country growing cash crops (coffee, cotton, tobacco, sisal and pyrethrum), where there was a Cooperative Union, stretching from West Nile, Acholi, Lango, Teso, Bugisu, Bukedi, Busoga, Buganda, Bunyoro, Ankole, Toro and Kigezi
• The Arua-Koboko Road (West Nile)
• The Busia-Tororo-Mbale-Soroti-Lira-Gulu highway
• The railway from Busia to Gulu
• National Housing and Construction Corporation
• Kampala’s Crested Towers building
• Bugolobi Flats in Kampala
• Kampala’s Wandegeya Flats
• Kampala’s Bukoto Flats
• In virtually all district towns, the housing estates known as “Senior Quarters” and “Junior Quarters” built for new civil servants under the programme to Africanise Uganda’s Civil Service
• Dozens of Post Offices and telephone exchanges across the country
• East African Airways
• Uganda Transport [Bus] Corporation, serving southern and western Uganda
• Peoples Transport [Bus] Company, serving northern and eastern Uganda
• East African Railways and Harbours Corporation
• The Port Bell railway link
• The Busoga railway loop
• The Jinja pier (enabling cargo from Lake Victoria to be transferred to rail and road)
• The Kalangala ferry and ferries on Lake Kyoga and Lake Bisina in Teso
• Tarmac upgrade of the Kampala-Mukono highway and the highway from Mukono to Busia
• And many, many roads across Uganda, which I cannot comprehensively list here.”
Zikusooka added that “Most of Uganda’s post-colonial modern infrastructure was put in place during the time Shaban Nkutu served as Minister of Works, Transport, Housing and Communications and very little new infrastructure has been built from scratch since that time.”

“He represented Busoga South East in Parliament from 1962-1971 and was one of the few people from Busoga who was actively involved in leading Uganda to independence in 1962.”

“During his one-year tenure as Minister of Health in 1966,” wrote Zikusooka, “Hon. Shaban Nkutu oversaw the completion of construction and successful opening of 21 modern district hospitals, covering all major regions of Uganda, giving most Ugandans their first proper access to modern medical facilities. From West Nile to Tororo, from Karamoja to Kanungu, from Masindi to Bugiri, from Ntungamo to Gulu, very good hospitals were built and commissioned. Prior to this achievement, there were virtually no referral hospitals in Uganda outside Kampala and Entebbe and there have hardly been any new referral hospitals constructed by any successor government in the country for most of the last 45 years.”

“Earlier, as Deputy Minister of Education, he created open access to educational institutions and scholarships for Ugandans of all religions, especially Muslims and Catholics, who had been discriminated against and kept out of the public school system during the colonial period. He was one of the first Muslims in Uganda to achieve a modern secular education and was a great source of pride and honour to Muslims as the second Muslim ever to serve in the country’s Cabinet after independence.” The first was Adoko Nekyon, from Lango.

In his 1977 book “State of Blood,” former Minister Henry Kyemba, who served alongside Shaban Nkutu as Principal Private Secretary to President Obote and Secretary to the Cabinet in the sixties, says Nkutu was “a gentle and scrupulously law-abiding individual.” In an article written in 2005, Kyemba said “he had a huge number of friends,” amongst whom the closest were President Milton Obote, the former Mufti, Sheikh Obeid Kamulegeya, fomer Makerere Vice Chancellor Prof Asavia Wandira and Haji Majid Bagalaaliwo, Chairman of Century Bottling Company.

Following the military coup in 1971, Nkutu was arrested and detained without trial at Makindye Military Police Barracks for several months. He shared a cell with Chris Rwakasisi and Edward Rurangaranga. Following his release, he retreated to a quiet life of private business and refused to flee into exile, despite repeated threats and harassment from security personnel.

Over the next one year, the Amin regime began to murder its real and perceived opponents, especially after the unsuccessful invasion of Uganda from Tanzania, by Ugandan exiles in September 1972, who were allied to Milton Obote and Yoweri Museveni. In the 3 months following the invasion, President Amin murdered Chief Justice Ben Kiwanuka and seven former ministers of the first Obote government. They included Hon. John Kakonge (Agriculture – he was father to now UPDF Chief of Personnel, Brig Leo Kyanda and father-in-law to Major Gen Mugisha Muntu), Hon. Basil Bataringaya (Internal Affairs), Hon. Joshua Wakholi (Public Service), Hon. Alex Ojera (Information), Hon. William Kalema (Commerce), Hon. Ali Kisekka (Minister to the East African Community) and Hon. James Ochola (Deputy Minister of Local Government). These prominent Ugandans were abducted by the Amin army and the intelligence service, the State Research Bureau and killed extra-judicially. None of their bodies has ever been recovered or buried by their families.

On January 11, 1973, Shaban Nkutu became the 8th former member of the Obote Cabinet to meet the same fate. In the run-up to his death, after the abortive 1972 invasion, Nkutu was repeatedly hunted and harassed by State Research operatives and Military Intelligence officers from the army’s Gadaffi Barracks in Jinja, forcing him to frequently shift residences amongst his relatives. Close relatives and members of the Baisemenha clan were often rounded up and detained in large numbers in order to force him to report to the authorities. Relatives and friends in the Madhvani family urged him to flee the country.

But at a meeting in early January 1973, at Baitambogwe (half-way between Jinja and Iganga), Nkutu told a secret meeting of his brothers and cousins that Amin was reportedly massacring soldiers from Obote’s Langi ethnic community, together with civilian members of their families and home areas and that while his going into exile might trigger a massacre of Baisemenha and Basoga by President Amin, his individual death would restrict tragedy to his immediate family alone and that he would not flee Uganda because he did not want the blood of many people on his hands. He was killed less than a week later and remained, on Amin’s orders, buried at a secret location for the next 32 years until an incredible opportunity that brought his family in contact with the grave-diggers who buried his body.

A statement issued by Nkutu’s family in January 2005 revealed to Ugandans how the late Minister was abducted by the army at his office at Scindia Road in Jinja on that fateful morning of January 11, 1973, the attempt to put him in the boot of a vehicle in broad daylight and the brave fight for his life that was put up by the civilian residents of Scindia Road and Jinja market before sevral gunshots were fired into the air, sending them fleeing for their lives.

Shaban Nkutu was then taken by the army, first to Jinja’s Central Police Station and then to the Gadaffi Army Barracks, where he was last seen alive by his driver Abdul Muloiyiva and his nephew Twaha Magala, who refused to leave his side until they were forcefully separated. They saw him alive for the last time, in the office of the then Commanding Officer of Gadaffi Garrison, whom the family has since identified as Lt Colonel Hussein (he died in 2001 after an unsuccessful bid to be elected LC5 Chairman of Arua district).

Nkutu, aged 42, was murdered that night at Gadaffi Barracks by the army, who dumped his body in the River Nile. However the body failed to sink or float away and was recovered at the river bank the following morning and immediately identified by the dozens of people who gathered there in shock. Security personnel turned up and took the body to the Jinja Hospital Mortuary, from where it was hurriedly and secretly taken away by the police and buried in a grave containing five other people at the Mailo Mbiri Cemetery at the junction of Iganga and Kamuli roads.

On the orders of Idi Amin, Nkutu was buried in an unknown place, on an unknown date and registered in the cemetery records as “an unknown person,” without the knowledge of his family. The grave-diggers conducted the burial at gun-point and were threatened with death if they revealed what they knew or the exact location of his grave.

The murder of Shaban Nkutu shocked the country and led to the resignation of his nephew, Wanume Kibedi, a brother-in-law of President Amin, who was serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Kibedi’s sister, the First Lady, Mama Mariamu, also fled the country.

In an article published by “The New Vision” in 2003 to mark the fall of Amin on April 11, Kyemba wrote of his former colleague: “my colleague, Shaban Kirunda Nkutu, was murdered by the state on January 11, 1973. After the coup, he had retired to a quiet life of private business in Jinja and Kampala.”

“Nkutu, who was a personal friend, had been very close to President Obote (they had attended the same secondary school at Mwiri) and was senior in the Uganda Peoples Congress party, as National Chairman.”

He had risen in the hierarchy and I remember he was one of those ministers whom I, as Principal Private Secretary, did not have to ask the President if he would grant audience, whenever he came to our offices. A former teacher, he had a huge number of friends and was well known for his calm and pleasant disposition.

“Nkutu had chosen not to flee into exile. He was an uncle to the First Lady, Mama Maryamu and her brother, the then Foreign Minister, Wanume Kibedi. He had been detained at Makindye Barracks after the coup but Amin had later released him and guaranteed his safety.”

“Nkutu’s murder shocked the nation and Amin was forced to disclaim responsibility by announcing that Nkutu had “fled to Tanzania.” A massive reward was placed on his head. Everybody knew he had been murdered. Kibedi was in Ghana and when he confirmed the killing, he resigned as Foreign Minister and went into exile. The murder of Shaban Nkutu also took its toll on the marriage between Amin and the First Lady, Mama Maryamu, who fled the country.”

For 32 years, the family of the late Minister lived with the pain of his murder and their failure to bury him. But in early 2004, by pure chance, one of the grave diggers met a relative of Shaban Nkutu. After securing assurances that he and his colleagues would not have the responsibility for the murder placed on them, he revealed where Nkutu had been buried and later led the family to the grave.

The grave diggers were tracked down an recalled that Nkutu had been buried last and on top of five other bodies retrieved from the mortuary and that his body would be at the top of the grave, which helped make possible its retrieval and identification following the exhumation of the remains by pathologists Prof Wabinga and Dr Odida and witnessed by Nkutu’s family in October 2004.

Entry and exit wounds on his skull revealed he had been shot twice in the right hand side of his head, with the bullets exiting the left hand side with a gaping hole. A bracelet identified by his relatives was found intact on his left arm and the state of his clothing completely matched earlier descriptions given by the grave diggers and two witnesses who saw his body at the river bank in1973.

On February 12, 2005, with his remains covered by the national flag, the remains of Shaban Kirunda Nkutu were re-buried in national honour at his home at Busesa, Bugweri, Iganga District. His funeral was a major national ceremony that symbolized Uganda’s sober and sad reflection on the human rights horrors of the Amin regime. The reburial was attended by President Yoweri Museveni, then Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga, Ministers, Prince Kassim Nakibinge of Buganda, Sheikh Obedi Kamulegeya, Sheikh Hussein Rajab Kakooza and other senior Islamic leaders and senior political leaders from all of Uganda’s major political parties, including Paul Ssemogerere and Ssebaana Kizito (DP), Mayanja Nkangi (CP), Major General Mugisha Muntu, Dr Suleiman Kiggundu and Wafula Oguttu (FDC) and most of the national leadership of UPC.

Most of all, his family was finally able to bury him and thousands of Ugandans turned up to honour his memory.

The national anthem of Uganda was played before and after his remains were lowered into his final resting place and President Museveni declared Nkutu a martyr for his courageous decision to face death alone without endangering his relatives and constituents. While it re-opened the wounds of 32 years ago, the reburial gave as much closure as is possible in such circumstances, for his family.

For three families, the exhumation and reburial of Shaban Nkutu resurrected their own sad stories. It was revealed by the grave diggers who buried him that two graves away from his, in the same row, they also buried in a mass grave, 3 other prominent citizens of Jinja, murdered by the army during the same period. They are: the late Ali Balunywa, former Administrative Secretary of Busoga (father of Wasswa Balunywa, Principal of Makerere Business School and Presidential Assistant Ngoma Ngime), who was abducted from his offices with the late Ruheesi, Town Engineer of Jinja (father of Lt Col James Ruheesi, UPDF) and the late H. Kasigwa, Jinja Town Treasurer (and father of former Jinja West MP Harry Kasigwa).

For these and many Ugandans whose loved ones simply “disappeared” during Amin’s time in power, Nkutu’s reburial symbolized the closest they might ever come to burying their own and many families of Uganda’s “disappeareds” attended the re-burial.

Shaban Nkutu’s reburial also sent a strong message to those who abuse state power to abuse the rights of others: the ugly facts of their involvement can still come out many years later. A witness to the Nkutu abduction, Mr Peter Okwera, then General Manager of Uganda Grain Milling Company was driving down Jinja’s Main Street and arrived at the Main Street-Scindia Road junction on the late morning of January 11, 1973, just as the army was firing in the air to scare away the large number of civilians who were fighting for Nkutu’s life as an attempt was being made to put him into the boot of a car.

Mr Okwera, who later served as a Member of the National Resistance Council (the Parliament of 1989-96) and later as a Resident District Commissioner for Kaberamaido (2000-2002), arrived in time to see at the verandah of Nkutu’s supermarket, an army officer he knew very well, visibly in command of the soldiers present and firing his pistol into the air. Mr Okwera, who approached the Nkutu family after the reburial, identified the abductor-in-chief as Captain Issa Habib Galungbe, Intelligence Officer of Gadaffi Barracks.

This is the same man later known as Lt Col Issa Habib who was nominated Ambassador to Saudi Arabia by an unknowing President Museveni in 1988 but lost his appointment after he was accused of rape by a young lady. He died in 2001 and was buried in Arua. Members of the Nkutu family later learnt that it was the same Capt Issa Habib who abducted the late Ruheesi, the late Kasigwa and the late Balunywa in broad daylight, at their Jinja Administration offices, in 1972. Mr Okwera came forward and gave to members of Nkutu’s family, a detailed statement of his knowledge of Issa Habib (a man who had previously been of assistance to him) and the events of January 11, 1973, which had long troubled him.

Concluding his letter to Jinja Municipal Council, Eng Zikusooka said “Shaban committed no crime and certainly, nothing can justify his extra-judicial killing. It is memorable that dozens of Jinja’s citizens – unarmed civilians – put up a brave fight for his life at Scindia Road as the soldiers and intelligence agents attempted to put him in the boot of a car. His abduction succeeded only after heavy gunfire was used by the security personnel to scatter the crowd.”

“Late Hon. Nkutu lived a lawful and peaceful life. He was a national leader who scored the many high profile achievements I have listed above. Uganda would be a much better place today if the work he began had been continued.”

Zikusooka added in his letter that “Ugandans should treasure the memory of this independence nationalist and honest, hard-working public servant, who endeavoured to put limited national resources to the service of all areas and all tribes of the country as well as East Africa, with total integrity and value for money. He was committed to the development of Uganda and I urge you to re-name a road in his memory.

Led by Mayor Baswale Kezaala, Jinja Municipality Council unanimously voted to re-name Allidina Road in Jinja as “Shaban Nkutu Memorial Road.” His achievements and service as a Cabinet Minister have set a high target for today’s Ministers.

KIBULI IS THE CENTRE OF MUSLIM EDUCATION IN UGANDA

Muslim education in Uganda springs from Kibuli, a Kampala suburb, an area that had been allotted to Prince Nuhu Mbogo by the British following the 1900 Agreement. Prince Mbogo, as leader of the Muslim community, was commonly referred to as ‘Kabaka for the Muslims’.

In 1921, Prince Mbogo died and was succeeded both in Kibuli and his leadership in the Muslim community by his then fourteen year old son, Badru Kakungulu.

The following year brought a change to Kibuli which was to have a major impact on the community. This was the founding of the primary school. When young Badru was selected to succeed his father as leader of the Muslim community the British administrators, as well as the powers in Mengo, were concerned that his education had consisted almost entirely of Arabic and Islamic studies. Up to that time Muslim schools offering Western-style curricula were non-existent, for all the early schools were Mission supported and since the Muslims had no missionaries in the formal sense they had no one to found schools for them. Koranic schools of course could be found within Buganda of which the first had been founded in Kibuli already in 1914.

In 1922, the Lukiko founded primary schools in Kubuli thereby inaugurating Muslim secular education not only in Kibuli but in Uganda. There were only three students at first, Badru Kakungulu, H. Goloba and A.W. Ssimbwa under the tutelage of Luka Sajjabi. They met in a small mud structure. More students were admitted and soon there over 40 pupils. The school was known as Kiwotoka School. By 1925, when Prince Badur went on to Kings College Budo, the school had developed enough for a burnt-brick building to be erected. The students at this time were by no means all children. Ages ranged from those under ten to men over forty. Although all the students were not Muslim, preference was given to Muslim applicants. Students came in daily from outside Kibuli as well as from the community. The founding of the primary school marked the beginning of Kibuli as the centre of Muslim education. Several events helped bring this about. In 1937, on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee, the Agha Khan, leader of the Ismail community, gathered together the prominent Muslims of East Africa and formed the East African Muslim Welfare Association and Kakungulu became the Vice-President of the Association. Largely through funds from the prosperous Ismail community, this organization has been able to contribute financially to the development of Muslim education. The same year Rahmadan Gova, a former classmate of Kakungulu at Kibuli Primary School, returned to Kibuli School to teach. Seeing that the government would help sponsor Muslim schools only when the religious community formed a registered educational association, and encouraged by a number of Muslim leaders, he formed the Uganda Muslim Education Association. Seven prominent Muslim leaders served as trustees. It was registered in 1940.

Later Kakungulu gave eighty acres at Kibuli as the site for a large Juma mosque and for the location of schools. This grant consisted of the top and the upper slopes of the hill. Thus Kibuli was not an allotment to the Muslim community such as Nsambya and Rubaga had been to the Catholics and Namirembe to the Protestants. Rather it was a grant to an individual. The Muslims had not been allocated land in 1900 and the deficieny was not remedied until 1913 when Mbogo requested such such land on which to buold six hundred mosques throughout Uganda. Therefore Kibuli was really at first a residential centre of the Muslim community. Seeing the need for land for schools, and the desirability of the site being located near town, prompted Kakungulu to make the grant.

The new mosque was started almost at once. Its construction was largely financed by the Ismaili community with the Agha khan laying the foundation stone in 1941. Its completion was delayed by the war and it was finished only in 1950. It serves now as a marker in Kampala comparable to the cathedrals at Namirembe, Rubaga and Nsambya. To the residents of Kibuli, both muslim and non Muslim, it serves as a source of great pride.

1945 saw the inauguration of the first year of secondary school education at Kibuli. With the subsequent opening of a hostel, muslim students from different parts of Uganda came to board at the junior secondary school. A Grade C Teacher Training College at Kasawa, began by Buganda government as a model school in 1932 – 3, was given to the muslim community who moved it to its present site in Kibuli where it became the Kibuli muslim teacher training college. By 1960 Kibuli junior secondary school became a senior secondary school. Soon after independence, a USAID grant was given to build a new school plant and staff housing for the secondary school and these where finally completed and utilized in 1966. Further building has recently been started to accommodate the higher school certificate programme started in 1968. The staff buildings for the secondary school and the TTC staff, house the only non-African residents of Kibuli. In 1966 Lubiri secondary school, whose premises had been destroyed in the fire in the Lubiri, moved temporarily into the former kiibuli secondary school buildings.

The last fifty years have seen Kibuli become an educational centre with two secondary schools, a teacher training college and a full primary school. The total enrollment of these schools is 1,721 (1,156 without the Lubiri school). Looking up the slopes from the village the schools have served as a source of great pride to the residents of Kibuli, most of whom unfortunately cannot afford to send their children to any but the primary school. Even here since the language of instruction in the early primary years is Luganda, the student body is principally Baganda and western Ugandans.

With the overcrowding of the secondary school hostel a number of students have been forced to take up lodging in the village where an even larger number of students attending various Kampala day schools have also taken advantage of cheap local housing. Together these young people form a very prominent minority of the Kibuli population and along with the growing Africanization of the school staff in the past few years, is closing the gap somewhat that has existed between the villagers and the residents of the school compounds.

Source: The Uganda Society Journal

The Vision of Alhaji Iddi Amin on UMSC

Assalam Alaikum, receive a copy of the Memorandum sent by Uganda Muslim Community, read Kibuli to the Late Iddi Amin in reaction to the conference leading to the formation of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council. I will in due course also upload, the inaugural speech of Iddi Amin, and reactions to this issues raised in the Memorandum. I hope these documents help us put Muslim wrangles in perspective and contribute to the Muslim unity meaningfully. Thanks Allah Knows Best.

READ THE DOCUMENTS ON THE LINK BELOW:http://umbsextra.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/kibulis-memorandum-in-reaction-to-the-kabale-muslim-conference/

The Vision of Alhaji Iddi Amin on UMSC: Read the doc attached on this link:http://umbsextra.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/the-vision-of-alhaji-iddi-amin-on-umsc/

REMEMBERING MY GRANDFATHER’S BEST FRIEND

Sheikh Islam Ali Saad Kulumba was Hajji Hassan Kibirige’s best friend. They used to speak to each over the phone almost every day, and were reportedly friends since their school days. Whenever Hajji (Grandpa) bought meat from the market at Bwaise, he would divide it into two, and get a bodaboda to take some to sheikh Kulumba’s home which wasn’t far away from our house at Kawempe. Actually, one day I was badly injured on my knee while sited on a bodaboda to Sheikh Kulumba’s home as someone in a parked car on the side of the road opened the door as we were branching off at Bwebajja primary school. It was absolute agony in my knee when I knocked myself on that door!

Whenever Sheikh Kulumba would get misunderstandings with his wives, he would decide to spend some nights at my grandfather’s house and they could spend almost a half the night talking in the lounge.

Kulumba had the ability to communicate a scale of values, to impart an attitude to knowledge such as his own, and that was one of his supreme achievements. For instance, one time he went for Umra in Saudi Arabia and on coming back, he gave me an Islamic cap (‘enkofira’ in Luganda). He then told me something I still remember up to now:

‘Do you know why our friendship with your grandfather has lasted this long?’,Kulumba asked

‘I don’t know’, I politely answered.

‘It’s because we are Muslims and we love each other for the sake of Allah. When you get a friend like that, who loves you that way, that friendship will last till death tears you apart’, Kulumba explained.

Indeed, their friendship lasted till that day on 28th June 2004 when Kulumba reportedly collapsed and instantly died. Unfortunately, my grandfather was away in London with us having treatment such that he never got a chance to bury his best friend.

We organized a duwa for him in London at one of my auntie’s place which gave my grandfather a chance to say good bye to his friend. I could see him in pain but the word of Allah:’inalilahi wahina ilayihi rajihuna’ kept him going.

I don’t know when Kulumba was exactly born but all I know is that he has always been there for Buganda, Islam and Muslims in Uganda. For instance, In October 1970, Obote ordered the arrest of Sheikh Ali Kulumba (later on Speaker of Lukiiko) and Prince Badru Kakungulu, both Moslem leaders of the well-established Uganda Muslim Community (UMC). Since 1965, Obote had been sponsoring another organization, the National Association for Advancement of Moslems (NAAM), in order to keep the influential UMC in check. I have to point out that NAAM did not have any mosques of their own and depended on the pity of some Moslem leaders to do their work. Sheikh Kulumba and Prince Kakungulu stood up to NAAM interference in the mosques. Things escalated when General Idi Amin (then Chief of Staff and Head of the Air Force) started to move away from NAAM and towards UMC. He was accepted by the UMC and he started appearing at their ceremonies. Obote viewed this as a threat to his government and consequently placed Amin under house arrest as well as stripping him of some of his powers. Obote also detained Kulumba and Kakungulu without charge or trial.

Sheikh Islam Ali Saad Kulumba was bright, energetic and soft spoken though his speech was impeded by an illness in his old age that made him shake a little bit. He was a man of good understanding and sound judgment, deliberate in forming his conclusions, comparatively of few words, but whenever he spoke his words were appropriate and his views weighty.

The subject of religion was at all times and on all occasions his great theme, and perhaps no man was more uniformly devoted to the cause of Allah. (s.w.t). He onetime told me to emulate one of my uncles he envied so much. I actually tried to get close to this uncle of mine when I moved to the UK but, for some reason, he never tried to seize the moment in our friendship. By the way, guys, when a kid tries to be your friend, don’t push them away (for God’s sake). It only means that this kid is looking at you as a role model!

He was pre-eminently a man of prayer, who would be seen leading all the prayers at my grandfather’s house whenever he visited. Our grandmother, Hajjati Mayimuna Nabagereka, respected him so much and she knew how much he meant in the life of my grandfather. She sometimes would joke to Hajji (Grandpa):’nawe genda osuleko ewuwe’ meaning’ you should also sleep at his’!

Kulumba stands out in the memory as a simple personality. As a teacher, Maalim was outstanding. I remember him on all ‘MAULEDIS’ I attended as a kid. He once gave me some money and shared a piece of meat with me for reciting surat yasin off head without looking at the Quran. I must have been in primary six then at Kamuli UMEA. No one who was taught by him could easily forget the experience of his teaching.

His knowledge was never used merely to impress but rather to stimulate and fertilize the minds of the young boys and girls when he was preaching on Muslim occasions or mosques. He also used to train and encourage youngsters to become madrasah teachers and majalis reciters.

His humility and sense of belonging to the community was remarkable, Kulumba was a keen listener to people’s problems and help them solve their problems by Istekhara and recommending supplications. He was genuinely concerned about everybody and loved them, and everyone felt the same about him.

Sheikh Kulumba was just the most explicit example of that virtue and his imparting of religious teachings will be regarded as one of the greatest gifts ever given to the community.

He showed everyone, especially the youths that despite the materialistic nature of the world; a man can serve Allah (s.w.t) and the community if he submits to His will fully. He was never after the materialistic life of this world as long as he had the basics for the day.

There is a lot to learn from such old guys and I hope that Hajji Mutumba Nsereko puts him on the list of our ‘unsung Muslim Heroes’ list he is yet to cover inishallah.

We thank Allah (S.W.T) for sending such a man who is still remembered fondly by the Muslim community in Uganda, his friends and family. This eminently pious man was no less remarkable in death than in life. Let us all pray for his maghferat (forgivenance) and remember him with a sura e Fateha.

Regards,
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

Haji Habib Mushamba: the Muslim who established what is now Kanungu town and whose son was the first Mukiga Muslim to join Makerere University in 1968!

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba
Haji Habib Mushamba was born on 5th February 1910 and died on 25th March 1994 at the age of 84. His father was Mr. Ijuumba and his mother was Ms. Salaama Kenyana. He went to Nyakatare Native Anglican primary school.

Before converting to Islam, he was known as Festo Mushamba and he was a protestant church catechist.
He converted to Islam in 1930 after being convinced by a certain Shk. Habib from Kajara. He learnt Islam in Kimaanya under the guidance of Shk. Rashid Musoke. While here, he memorized half of the Holy Quran and learnt Arabic which he used to speak fluently.

While studying in Masaka, Habib learnt how to drive and repair vehicles. From Masaka, he moved to Fort Portal) Tooro) with a certain British called Gordas.

While in Tooro, he worked on a tea plantation as a tractor driver and mechanic. From Tooro, he went to Ankole and settled in a place called Mashonga in Bunyaruguru and started mining gold together with a certain Musa Marjani and others.

He later went to Kifunjo, next to Kanungu to continue with gold mining.

Whereas the Catholics had their primary schools at Makiro, the Protestants went to Nyakatare native Anglican Church primary school. The Muslims had no school. He mobilized the few Muslims with the assistance of Hadji Twaha Bin Ali to start Karuhinda Muslim Primary School in 1956.

Out of his efforts, the entire Karuhinda hill was allocated to the Muslims for the purpose of building a mosque and a primary school.

He was very supportive to teachers, parents and students who were having constraints in their education struggle by giving them goods on credit, financial support and transporting students to schools.

His son Sulaiman Habib was the first Mukiga Muslim to join Makerere University in 1968 where he attained a B.A and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education.

Haji Habib Mushamba is the one who established what is now Kanungu town by starting the first shop in the area and he was joined by others. He also started the first Fuel/petrol station in Kanungu and became the only fuel supplier in Kinkizi with his fuel tankers and pumps installed as early as 1954. He sold petrol, diesel, paraffin, engine oil and other related products.
He was a business agent for organizations like Uganda Transport Company (UTC), Shell BP, Brook Bond Tea Company and many others.

Haji Mushamba also owned several vehicles including Lorries, pickups and saloon cars which also served as ambulances. Apart from Haji Mushamba, Haji Twaha and Haji Mustafa Namunye of Kambuga, other members of society who owned vehicles were high ranking government workers.
At a later stage, Haji Mushamba combined forces with Haji Sulaiti and Haji Twaha to form Kigezi Commercial Kwekamba Bus Company that extended transport services to Kilembe Mines in Kasese, Rukungiri, Kabale, Kabuyanda and many other parts of Kigezi.

Haji Mushamba was the best coffee and banana farmer and his plantations were used as demonstration gardens. He had produce stores in all major trading centers in Kinkizi and he also had a hides and skin business. Shortly after independence, Mushamba joined with others to create Kinkizi Coffee Factory at Kayonza.

Because of the experience he acquired from white miners in Kigezi and Ankole, Mushamba knew how to prospect for mineral. He could identify many of them and knew how to trace their reefs under the ground. He pioneered gold mining at Kifunjo and Kayonza. He also mined Iron, Tin, Berley, Colombite, Tantalite and Wolfram.

All this hard work was aimed at helping wanainchi (local masses) to become economically independent and avoid being exploited by the Asians/Indians. He indeed succeeded because it is believed that Kinkizi County now Kanungu District is the only county where Asians did not settle.

Mushamba built a bakery at Kanungu to provide bread and cakes to wanainchi as one way of keeping away those he referred to as exploiters. He sent his son Hasan Byamugisha to be trained as a post master to manage the postal services and for a number of years, his postal address was P.O. Box 1 Karuhinda.

In another move to encourage natives to improve their economic or financial status, Haji Mushamba offered his building at Kanungu to serve as a bank (Barclays Bank).
He was the main recommender for business men and farmers to obtain loans ranging from UGX 1,000 to 10,000/=. Goods of 5,000/= could fill up a big shop.

After Independence in 1963, Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB) was established and Haji Mushamba bought several shares for himself, his wives and children.

Unfortunately according to his heir, there is no information about what happened to the shares when it was closed and sold. (May be the government can clarify on this).

He is the one who introduced postal services in Kanungu by offering a room at his shop where post office boxes were installed.

He had over ten wives who included Kaheru Aisha, Komwami Sofia, Nyinakiiza Zafarani, Saida (Mama Baby) and Mama Amina among others. He personally converted most of his wives into Islam.

He also converted several of his brothers into Islam and some of them later became very prominent in the area. These were: Umar Ijumba, Sowedi Kanyonyi, Mustafa Kataama, Ismail Basiiranwa, Rajab Mijinya, Gasheka, Yahaya Ngohe, Karusigarira Abubakar, Musa Tiizarika, and Abdallah of Rugyeyo Kanungu and many others.

He supported all the converts by giving them jobs and helping them establish businesses and families.
He is the one who donated 5 acres of land for a Muslim Cemetery at Kanungu. Haji Mushamba was not sectarian neither was he tribalistic. He accepted and dealt with everybody that came to him.

Haji Habib Mushamba served as a member of Kigezi district appointments board and on 9th October 1962, he was part of the VIP delegation from Kigezi who were invited by the governor to witness Uganda’s independence at Kololo – Kampala.

This was in recognition of his contributions to the nation though his business, agricultural, educational, religious and charitable projects.

His working relationship with the colonial masters was very good to the extent that he was authorized to have two guns, one short gun and one rifle 375MM for hunting and he was authorized to trade in Ivory.

Before his death, he entrusted the short gun to the late Haji Sulait and the big riffle to his heir Sulaiman who has maintained it as a Museum piece for commemoration purposes.

This is another industrious Haji who practically fulfilled Allah’s Command in Surat Al Qasas – 28:77 (the narration) in which Allah Says:
“But seek, with the (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on thee, the home of the hereafter, nor forget thy portion in this world: but do thou good as Allah has been good to thee and seek not (occasions for) mischief in the land: for Allah loves not those who do mischief”

Haji Habib valued education and education is a key to development. Haji Habib propagated Islam to people of Kanungu from zero. He aided those with migre resources to become progressive. He actively participated in the politics of his area and of the nation. He was a progressive entrepreneur. He was among the few Muslims if not the pioneer to deal in mining. He also took time to memorize more than 10 Juzus which was very great during those days being a new convert.

Basing on the above, Haji Habib Mushamba is really a Muslim hero though unsung.

Haji Nsereko Mutumba
Public Relations Officer
Uganda Muslim Supreme Council
Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504
Email: pro_umsc@yahoo.com

History of Makerere University Muslim Students’ Association (MUMSA)

Makerere University Muslim Students’ Association (MUMSA) is Uganda’s all inclusive umbrella organization in the Muslim students duly registered as a Faith Based Organization in the Makerere University Students’ Guild and Uganda Muslim Supreme council.

MUMSA was started in 1948 as the Makerere Muslims League, later changing to Uganda Muslims Solidarity in 1956 and finally in 1972 as MUMSA, to act as a networking platform for Uganda Muslim Students and professionals among other objectives. Currently with 10000 members, MUMSA has made major strides in Daawa, provision of Career Guidance and strengthening professionalism in the Muslim Community.
MUMSA History

MUMSA can arguably be said to be as old as Makerere University, which started in 1922 as Makerere College. However, the first traces of the Association go as back as 1948 when the first Muslim students were admitted at the defunct Makerere College. These were mainly Zanzibar with the result that saw the construction of the first mosque by the Sultan of Zanzibar in the same year. The mosque currently serves as the mosque library.

The year 1956 served as the turning point in the efforts to form the Association when the first Muslim African student in the names of ABUBAKAR KAKYAMA MAYANJA (died in 2009, may Allah pardon Him in all that he erred) was admitted to study law at Makerere college.

By 1962, at least 10 African Muslim Students had gained admission, and these mobilized themselves into a body called Uganda Muslims Association, which they later changed into Uganda Muslim Students’ Association. Prominent among these are Dr. Kagimu (President IMAU), Hajji Kibirige Muhammad (former President JEEMA).

In 1972, Uganda Muslim Students’ Association completed its metamorphosis into Makerere University Muslim Students’ Association (MUMSA) with Dr. Kagimu as the official Pioneer Chairman who went on to serve 4 Consecutive Terms of office till 1976, the same year Uganda was admitted to the Organization of Islamic Conference at Lahore, Pakistan.

The year 1979 is very significant in the History of Uganda and the world at large for a number of events were witnessed, the overthrow of President Idi Amin Dada by UNLA/M, Iranian Revolution. The year is also significant to MUMSA specifically as it is the year the Golden years of achievement took root. It is the year that two important personalities that Allah has given the privilege of shaping the destiny of Muslim Academic and the Islamic community’s welfare upliftment enrolled at the Harvard of Africa(Ivory tower),DR. ABBAS KIYIMBA(Former Deputy Dean ,Faculty of Arts , Makerere University) and DR. AHMED SENGENDO(Rector ,I.U.I.U).

Their contribution to the vibrancy of the Association is enumerable, to mention fronted for the opening up of the Islamic University In Uganda which commenced in 1988,investigated and caused the prosecution of all those that perpetrated the 1979 Nyabushozi Massacre of muslims,pioneered the idea of upcountry Community and School visits (Caravans),advocated for the recognition of Muslim students’ rights through the demand for formation of Muslim Students’ Associations(MSAs) in every school including those in which Christian teachings were deeply entrenched like St.Henry’s College Kitovu, St. Mary’s College Kisubi, Kings College Buddo.

Their enviable scope of activism saw the entrance into Uganda in the early 1990s operations of Islamic International Non-Governmental Organizations like the World Assembly of Muslim Youths(WAMY),Direct-Aid African Muslims Agency(AMA),Al-Munazzamat Addawatul-Islamiyyah, RABITWA,World Islamic Call Society(WICS), World Muslims League, International Islamic Charitable Organization to mention but a few that have greatly contributed to the improvement of the livelihood of Ugandans.

In 1993, Dr. ABBAS KIYMBA acting with a committed team of MUMSA leaders oversaw the completion of the construction of the bigger Makerere University mosque in the “forest” , which miraculously and interestingly transformed that into the main gate, TAK BEER !!!!, ALLAH AKBAR!!!!

A lot goes without saying about these distinguished parents, academicians and development inspirers of our time, and indeed a number of personalities have been made out of their guidance and direction, these include among others Imam Iddi Kasozi,and the famous Uganda Muslim Youth Assembly, Hajji Hussein Kyanjo(M.P Makindye West), Hajji Ibrahim Matovu(Headmaster Kibuli S.S,and founding Chairman UMTA),Hajji Kaliisa (former Executive Director Voice of Africa Radio, now proprietor Pearl FM) who spearheaded the revival of the MUSLIM STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION(MSAU) , Hamid Byamugenzi ,Abdulhamid Mpoza ,Nkunyinji Muwada Haruna, for forming the famous EAST AFRICAN MUSLIM FEDERATION, who have also greatly influenced the status of Islam in the varied fields .

The Contribution of these two spans over the last 32 years although from their full commitment and activity in the Association some what has been relatively declining from the year 1997 due to extra-gratuitous personal and socio-economic ramifications.

No wonder, from the year 2000, the vibrancy and level of activism of MUMSA in the country has taken a rather down treading trend for each successive year that comes to pass. Question is who is to blame, what could be the problem? Can all of us join ideas to give answers?!!

No need to look farther than your conscience informs you ,MUMSA’s current sorry state currently can best be explained by reasons, some that are beyond any individual’s control like stifling of sources of funding for its programs due to the Global indiscriminate outright war on terror due to the 9/11 U.S terror attacks, well calculated perpetration of factionalism in the Muslim UMMAH ,well calculated Islam phobic Policies of its adversaries and many others that every one can precisely predict and enumerate.

The reasons that are within everyone’s province are; shortfall in level of commitment to the Islamic teachings due to a number of concentration to a number of competing and equally distracting needs like the strive to maintain good welfare of our people, demanding employment, fanciful amusements and leisure like politics, football, movies and ‘soaps’ on T.V, neglect of the principle of continuity and longevity of activism by the Senior Members, who ever comes and does anything for the Association, even if small, goes with it but doesn’t follow up on its continuity, ill-conceived existence of ranks, class stratification and personality prejudices with the result that any wrong there is observed, the CHAIRMAN MUMSA or the MUMSA EXECUTIVE should be there to avert it albeit logistical and moral undertones, permissive attitude of the parents and leaders driven the misconception that today’s dot.com era kids(children) know a lot yet actually little of too much, which has caused tem give their parental and guidance roles to the mothers, fathers and leaders of tomorrow, commercialization of the Islamic theological Education system with the result that Graduates being churned out of these institutions are material-needs driven detached from the Islamic Creed that emphasizes “that the ultimate goal is not finishing a course but rather inspiring, sparking and mentoring the skill in an individual to benefit the society”, the defective secular education system that trains “survival for the fittest” skills with the result that every one strives to attain the best grades to his or her only self satisfaction on achievement as the indigent, destitute, hopeless citizen of mother pearl of Africa, and unpredictable craddleland expansive Global village sits across lamenting on what he or she could have wronged “the maker” to deserve second class citizenry .

Dear brethren in Islam, this writings on this website are intended to re-awaken our sensitivity to the responsibility that was handed down unto us by Allah, my strong conviction being that you clearly appreciate that I, you and every Muslim and Muslimat out there will be brought to book on the strategies and efforts made to fulfill this dilemma, please remember, you can’t avoid this, the only way out is DEATH!!!!!!!!,My prayer and hope is that we shall all be united and strong in purpose in our endeavor to meet the Almighty Allah pleased with us, May He enable us, Allahuma Ameen.

Haji Akaya Muyanja Byayi was: the founder of Byayi Islamic Primary School in Kikungwe Masaka and a good friend of Obote(RIP)

Haji Akaya Muyanja Byayi was born in 1914 in Kibengo – Buddu (Masaka). He was from the “Enyonyi Nakinsige” clan. His father was Omujungute Haji Asumani Byayi and his mother was Hajat Nusula Nakibuuka of Mamba clan.His father Haji Asumani Byayi who was a sheikh taught him Islam for most of his childhood. He went to Kibengo Muslim Primary school where he studied up to P.4 then.

During his youth days, he went to Buwenda – Kibinge where he started a coffee farm and a big banana plantation.
In 1958, he went to Congo Kinshasha where he established two hotels; one in Goma and another in Bunya.
He was however forced to leave Congo in 1962 when the Belgians (colonialists) turned against him. He came back to Uganda and settled at Katwe-Busongola (Western Uganda) where he started a fishing business and bought many fishing boats.

In 1963, the government of Uganda put him in charge of National Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Rwanda Office.
He became a very prominent businessman and strong financier of Muslim causes in the country. This made him very popular in both Islamic and political circles. In 1964, he joined UPC and later on joined NAAM thereby becoming one of the first Ugandan Muslims to engage in active politics.

Under NAAM, Haji Byayi and his colleagues accomplished a lot in uplifting the status of Islam and Muslims in Uganda.
More Muslims were made chiefs and by 1971, https://ugandamuslims.wordpress.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?post_id=3760&action=grunion_form_builder&TB_iframe=true&id=add_form&width=640&height=485the Muslim share of Saza Chiefs in Buganda had improved from two to four including the key counties of Buddu and Singo. More butcher licenses and government jobs were given to Muslims especially in the Para-military where NAAM supporters were admitted as peripheral informers. Many Muslims received trading licenses following the lobbying done by Haji Byayi and his comrades in NAAM.

Haji Byayi is the one who founded Byayi Islamic Primary School in Kikungwe Masaka. The school is still operational. He was one of the initial funders of the construction of the current Masaka main Mosque. More Butcher licenses and government jobs were given to Muslims especially in the Paramilitary where NAAM supporters were admitted as peripheral informers.

In 1966, Haji Byayi established a coffee Mill in Kyoko – Kyabakuza and in 1967; he started a cattle ranch in Kitti-Lukaya (Kalungu). He was also among the first Muslims to establish shops in Masaka town.

Haji Byayi believed in empowering the black people who were marginalized by Indians in Business and in all his business, he employed many Muslims and most of the money he earned from his businesses was spent of empowering Muslims and strengthening the economic and political base of fellow Ugandans.

He sponsored and mentored many Muslims and political activists who grew up to become prominent sheikhs and leaders. These include Sheikh Ali Saad Kulumba, Sheikh Abdu Obedi Kamulegeya, Grace Ibingira, Abubakar Mayanja, Kezekiya Seggwanga Musisi, Kaaya Kibira, Musa Magezi, Shk. Muhammad Mukongo, Shk. Swaibu Semakula, Maulana Abdul Razak Matovu, Shk. Abdu Kadir Mbogo, Shk. Twaib Mutyaba, Shk. Umar Dumba, Shk. Anasi Ssesimba, Shk. Hussein Rajab Kakooza, Haji Bagalaaliwo, Zakariya Wakinyankali, Anasi Kinyiri and many others.

In recognition of his work, he was appointed the government representative (Omubaka) of Kakuuto – Kooki County, a position he held until 1970. During his time as a government represented, he constructed Kakuuto government hospital which is still in place today.

Haji Byayi was also a close friend and adviser to the late Sheikh Swaib Semakula the first Mufti of Uganda, the late Maulana Abdul Razak Matovu the first Chief Kadhi of UMSC and the late Sheikh Saad Ibrahim Luwemba the Mufti of UMSC during their time of leadership.He was a personal friend of President Obote and advised him on several occasions.

Haji Byayi had 25 children, 12 boys and 13 girls. All of them are well educated and well known Muslims today. They include Moses Kazibwe, Abdu Wasswa (former Asst. Medical Superintendent of Masaka Hospital and Hon. Muhammad Mbabaali Muyanja Byayi, a prominent businessman and politician.

Haji Akaya Muyanja Byayi died in the year 2001.Haji Byaayi did what was expected of him as an ardent Muslim. He took his time to study his religion and to create jobs. He empowered his fellow Muslims economically. By doing so, he fulfilled Allah’s command in the Holy Quran 28:77 in which Allah says;
“And seek by means of what Allah has given you the future abode; and do not neglect your portion of this world; and do good (to others) as Allah has done good to you …”

Haji Byayi was therefore an accomplished Muslim; a job creator, an employer, a very shrewd politician and a revolutionary. What else? He was a Muslim Hero though unsung.

Haji Nsereko Mutumba
Public Relations Officer

Muwalimu Musa Mudde was a very dedicated Muslim and fought courageously during religious wars

Musa Mudde was born in the late 1863 in Manyama, Busiika – Bulemezi and died in 1947.His father was Nekambuuza son of Bomboka son of Seguya the 25th Nsamba of Ngabi clan. (Nsamba is a title given to the Ngabi clan leader). During his youth days, he met Shk. Ismail Mabizzi who took him to Kijungute where he fought in defense of Islam during the religious wars. During their exile in Kijungute, Shk. Mabizzi taught him a lot of Islamic lessons.

From Kijungute, Mudde and Mabizzi went to Nateete Mosque and later to Kibibi. Mabizzi was very fond of Mudde to the extent that he taught him Islam for a long time. He later took him to Shk. Kalifan Mubarak in Kibuli where he continued learning Islam and became a very good teacher of Quran. This is where Twaib Magatto the County Chief of Butambala (Katambala) identified him and made him his Muwalimu/Imam.

He first stayed at Lubugo before being given land in Nsozi Mbirye by Magatto. He was later taken to Kalamba where he taught Islam to many Muslims of different categories.

He was then transferred to Buyenga where Magatto gave him another piece of land. Among the Muslims he taught in Buyenga included; Shk. Muhamood Kizza, Hassan Katangawuzi, Shk. Ntamu and many others.

From Buyenga, Shk. Mudde went to Mirembe Mosque where he established a Darasa. He later had a misunderstanding with Shk. Abdallah Ssekimwanyi who wanted him to embrace Juma Njerere. Following the death of Twaib Magatto, Shk. Mudde was also challenged by Twaibu Magatto’s son Kikuuno to leave his father’s Mosque claiming that Mudde was not the rightful Imam of the Mosque constructed by the late Magatto since he was of Juma/Zukuli sect.The County Court ruled against Muwalimu Mudde who left Mirembe Mosque and built a Mosque and a school at Kikunyu – Butambala.

He was a very dedicated Muslim and fought courageously during religious wars. In all his life, he fasted the three months of Rajab, Shaban and Ramadhan. He also performed a lot of Ibaada.He performed Hajji in 1943.

He produced many children and among those whom he educated as Sheikhs are:
Shk. Kasimu Muwonge of Kikunyu Butambala, Shk. Bombo Mustafa of Bulugu Butambala, Shk. Sebyala Salim of Seeta Butambala, Shk. Yunus Butannaziba of Seeta Butambala, Shk. Ahamada Matovu, Shk. Hassan Nantegolola of Kabasanda, Shk. Isa Yiga (Incharge of Zaka – UMSC), Shk. Abdul Hamid Luswata (Twale Sheikh Katwe), Muwalimu Hamadi Muyomba of Kikunyu Butambala, Muwalimu Muhamudu Kaddu of Buyenga, Muwalimu Yakubu Kyasa of Buyenga, Muwalimu Abdallah Kaluma.
The mothers of his children were Asha Nakalembe, Habiba Namatovu, Mwajjuma Nakubulwa, Sania Nakawungu and Hadiyya Namutebi “Mugole”.

Shk. Mudde also made sure that his daughters were married to prominent Sheikhs as follows:
Saudah Kyosanze – wife to Shk. Swaib Semakula, Zainab Naiga – Wife to Shk. Kassim Semwanje, Salima Nalubega – wife to Shk Rajab Bbosa of Bugerere, Masitula Namatovu – wife to Shk. Abdunoor Kawooya, Halima Namatovu – wife to Muwalimu Hamadi Lumala, Hanifa Nakato – wife to Muwalimu Mpiso of Kalule.
Grand Children (boys):
· Shk. Abdul Razak Matovu the first Chief Kadhi of Uganda – Son to Sheikh Ahmada Matovu.
· Sheikh Yusuf Yiga – son to Shk. Hassan Nantegolola
· Shk. Idirisa Lubega the Director of Nsotoka Madarasat Hadiyi Al Islam in Bugerere
· Shk. Muhammad Yunus Kamoga the Amir Ummah of Jamiyat Daawa Salafiya
· Shk. Ismail Matovu
· Sheikh Abdul Rahman Yiga (Kalantan) of London all sons to Sheikh Yunus Butannziba.
· Shk. Muhammad Kamoga the Principal Bilal Islamic Institute – Bwaise,
· Sheikh Mustafa Bombo of Dubai
· Sheikh Shafiq Ssebyala all sons to Muwalimu Muhamudu Kaddu
· Shk. Umar Mazinga the leader of Zikiri Kalenge – son to Muwalimu Adallah Kaluma
· Shk. Abdulwahab Seguya of Degeya Masaka
· Shk. Yazidi Matovu of Dubai
· Shk. Awula Matovu
· Shk. Amin Matovu of Turkey – all sons to Shk. Abdul Hamid Luswata Mudome (County Shk. Katwe – Kampala)
· Maulana Musa Yiga an Islamic Teacher in South Africa
· Sheikh Ibrahim Bukenya of Azhar Sharif Egypt pursuing a degree in Sharia – sons to Shk. Isa Yiga the Head of Zakat at UMSC Headquarters Old Kampala
· Maulana Abdallah Kaluma a lecturer at IUIU – son to Shk. Umar Mazinga
· Muwalimu Nuhu Nabwaga the proprietor of Kyaterekera Restuarant at Nakivubo Road son to Shk. Salim Sebyala.
·
Grand Children (Girls) who were married to prominent Sheikhs:
· Lukiya Namatovu – Daughter to Shk. Salim Sebyala – married to Sheikh Hussein Rajab Kakooza, the Director of Sharia UMSC Headquarters Old Kampala.
· Joweria Nabukalu married to Sheikh Ibrahim Tamusuza
· Sarah Nabukeera daughter to Shk. Ahmada Matovu married to Shk. Mansoor Kasozi
· Zulaika Nalubega daughter to Shk. Yunus Butannaziba married to Shk. Abdul Kadir Mbogo former District Kadhi of Kampala
· Hadija Nabukenya of Kawempe Tula daughter to shk. Yunus Butannazima married to Shk. Abdulrahman Mivule former head of Juma and Zukuli in Uganda.
· Sarah Namale daughter to Shk. Yunus Butannaziba married to Haji Amiri Malende of Kawempe one of the founders of Juma and Zukuli in Uganda
· Salima Nalubega daughter to Shk Kassim Muwonge married to Shk. Umar Dumba a prominent Quran reciter in Uganda
· Mariam Nanyiti (daughter to Zainab Naiga and Shk. Kassimu Ssemwanje) wife to Abdunoor Sentamu
· Joweria Nabukalu (daughter to Sauda Kyosaze and Shk. Swaib Semakula) wife to Shk. Ibrahim Tamusuza of Ssimba Butambala and mother to Shk. Abdullah Ssemambo – a prominent Sheikh. In addition to Joweria Nabukalu, Sauda Kyosaze produced more three Sheikhs with Shk. Swaib Semakula as follows:
· Sheikh Ali Mutyaba
· Sheikh Muhammad Katende the Head of Twarika Shadhir
· Sheikh Musa Semwogerere
· Mastula Namatovu wife to Shk. Abdunoor Kawoya of Mpongo and mother to Shk. Muhammad Lunanoba – President General Juma Zukuli in Uganda.
· Hindu Nalubega daughter to Shiekh Mustafa Bombo and mother to Hajat Hadija Nakasagga (wife to H. E Mufti of Uganda Shk. Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje).
Muwalimu Musa Mudde fought for Islam, studied Islam, propagated Islam and taught his children Islam. He also made sure that his daughters were married to prominent Sheikhs and produced dedicated Muslims. Many of his Grandchildren are either Sheikhs or staunch Muslims.

This is a man who maintained his title of Muwalimu but made an impact on the Islamic scene.Muwalimu Musa Mudde is indeed a Muslim hero though unsung.May the Almighty Allah bless him with Jannah – Amin.

Haji Nsereko Mutumba
Public Relations Officer

The sad ending of Yusuf Ali, translator of the Qur’an

Sixty years ago, on Dec 10, 1953, few in the Muslim world noticed a minor tragedy unfolding in London. The previous day, a sick man was found sitting on the steps of a house in London in a bitterly cold British winter day, and was taken to hospital by police.

On this day, a man whose name was already known around the Muslim world, died a pauper’s death, without even a companion by his side. British authorities contacted the Pakistani High Commission in London to arrange his funeral and burial.

Ask any English-speaking Muslim what translation and commentary of the Quran they originally studied, and the chances are that it was the one by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.

First published in 1934, it remains to this day the most widely read and quoted English translation of the Quran.

Despite the efforts of numerous other scholars – Muslim, non-Muslim, English and non-English – to better it, few have been able to come close to Yusuf Ali’s classical English, which has given readers a sense of the beauty of the original Arabic verses.

At the same time, it has had many critics, who have accused Yusuf Ali’s translation of being rife with linguistic errors, and his accompanying commentaries of being ‘too spiritual’ , particularly for those with anti-sufi sectarian inclinations.

But for millions of ordinary English-educated Muslims (and non-Muslims) , Yusuf Ali’s translation has been their main gateway to the Quran for decades. So widely accepted was this work that it was reprinted and distributed by the tens of millions by publication houses in the east and west, often funded by despotic Arab governments seeking Islamic legitimacy from their own people and those important Muslim minorities living in Western countries.

Un-authorised revisions

Over time, however, this exercise became increasingly controversial, not least because some of these publishers and their sponsors saw it their responsibility to ‘improve’ Yusuf Ali’s work, by correcting what they perceived as errors of translation or interpretation.

Although this exercise did not butcher the original work completely, it was criticised by other Muslim scholars as a form of plagiarism. Other attempts to discredit Yusuf Ali’s work betrayed the Arab centric character of some Arab scholars of Islam, who evidently believed that they were better qualified to disseminate the Quranic language because of their knowledge of Arabic.

Unfortunately, these critics generally lacked the knowledge of other languages, and the way languages are spoken and comprehended. For all the failings of his work, time has only confirmed that Yusuf Ali, with his deep knowledge of Arabic and remarkable grasp of the English language, was in fact superbly equipped to bring the message of the Quran to a people who hitherto could not absorb its beautiful phrases and intended meanings in Arabic.

As a result, Muslim publishers recently reprinted Yusuf Ali’s original translation and commentary, ignoring most subsequent attempts at revising it.

Having said that, there can be no doubt that any translation and commentary of the Quran reflects that understanding and outlook of the translator and commentator. To fully understand Yusuf Ali’s perspective, therefore, it is necessary to know something about the man, his life and his times.

The story of Yusuf Ali

In Yusuf Ali’s case, however, little was known about him until the publication of Searching for Solace, a biography by M A Sherif, in 1994. It was only then that many Muslims realised that Yusuf Ali, far from being a feted ulama and scholar, was in fact a civil servant in British India and a loyalist to the British empire, whose life was one of personal tragedy. He died alone after being neglected by his children and his community in a city which did him little honour.

Many Muslims, discovering this sad story, have responded with harsh judgement, reflecting their reservations about elements of his work. This, however, is unfair.

Yusuf Ali was, as Sherif’s superbly compassionate and balanced biography shows, a product of his time and environment, but also one whose hardships led him to a deep study and understanding of Islam and the Quran. His life story, his strengths and his weaknesses, offer lessons for Muslims today.

Like many Muslims of the last couple of centuries, Yusuf Ali’s life was defined by the impact of western power on Muslim societies. Like much of India’s Muslim elite, Yusuf Ali served the British rulers of India, as an Anglophile member of the Indian civil service, much as his forebears had served earlier Muslim regimes.

Brought up to be more British than the British, he placed trust in British values of justice, fair play and benevolent empire, going as far as to marry an English woman. Throughout his life, he put his
skills at the service of the Empire, always under the illusion that this was in the best interest of his community.

But the incompatibilities of life as a ‘native’ Muslim in India, and a loyal British gentleman, were soon to be laid bare, not by any issues of conscience that arose in his work as an official of the empire, but
in his personal life.

His marriage ended with divorce, when he discovered that his wife had been unfaithful , something normal and tolerated in English high society at the time, but obviously unacceptable to him as a Muslim. One result was his alienation from his children, brought up as English.

Blind loyalty and re-awakening

His pain and anguish had left an indelible mark on his later world view, and he turned to the Quran for solace. Ultimately, one man’s loss soon became the Muslim world’s greatest gain.

He devoted himself to the study of the Quran, and soon came out with the first volume of his translation, first published in Lahore in 1934, a feat he had been hoping to achieve for some forty years of his life.

The circumstances Yusuf Ali was in are not dissimilar to our own era, in which a section of Muslim intellectuals are obsessed to portray Islam’s image as a moderate religion, so as to please their political masters in Washington.

Yusuf Ali’s generation was attracted by the same slogans, and the situation is no different today, albeit in a more subtle manner through the setting up of think-tanks, Islamic chairs at universities
and through publication of bulky but mostly hollow and pedantic theses on Islam.

The difference is that Yusuf Ali went through such a phase and learnt the consequences of blind loyalty. How many we know today have even gotten over the blind loyalty phase?

As he writes in his 1934 preface to his translation: “I have explored western lands, western manners and the depths of western thought and western learning, to an extent which has rarely fallen to the lot of an eastern mortal. But I have never lost touch with my eastern heritage.

“Through all my successes and failures I have learned to rely more and more upon the one true thing in all life – the voice that speaks in a tongue above that of a mortal man. I felt that with such
life-experience as has fallen to my lot, my service to the Quran should be to present it in a fitting garb in English.”

Yusuf Ali was buried at a cemetery in Woking, Surrey, UK. His grave is not far from that of Marmaduke Pickthall, whose earlier translation of the Quran was the first by a Muslim Englishman. May he rest in peace.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Born
14 April 1872
Bombay, India

Died
10 December 1953 (aged 81)
Brookwood, Surrey*

Sheikh Ahmed Nsambu: the first Ugandan (Muslim) to learn and fluently speak Arabic, Nubian and Swahili

Sheikh Ahmed Nsambu

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba

His father was Sadala Kyabi Musoke of Lugave clan from Bwetamiiza in Butambala and his mother was Amina Kusigalawo Nantongo of Monkey clan (a sister to Silimu Semindi the father to the late Sheikh Obeid Lutale).
He was first taught by Muwalimu Jamba of Kibuli and his father Sadala Kyabi. He was later taught by several other Sheikhs who included Sheikh Muhammad Banula.He was the first Ugandan (Muslim) to learn and fluently speak the following three languages at the same time; Arabic, Nubian and Swahili.

Because of his ability to speak three languages, Sheikh Ahmed was appointed by Prince Nuhu Mbogo as the guide and translator to visitors who used come from foreign countries like Egypt and other Arab countries. He later became the Muwalimu of Bwetamiiza in Musaale Sub County, Butambalala County.

He later shifted to Lubugo where he set up a Madarasa and taught many Sheikhs. After some time, the number of students grew and the teaching space became small.

He decided to migrate with 70 of his students to Ssingo where he settled on his father’s land of about 350 acres at Kabaseke. He developed this land by building a Mosque and a Muslim School in which he continued teaching Sheikhs. He later moved from Kabaseke to Nateete where he continued his work of propagating Islam.

Sheikh Nsambu was one of the first Sheikhs to advocate for and pray Juma Njereere (Juma [FridayPrayers] without Zuhur prayers).He was appointed the Deputy to Haji Sheikh Ssekimwanyi who was the leader of the Bukoto Nateete Juma sect (Muslims who prayed Juma Njereere) by a committee chaired by Haji Sheikh Ssekimwanyi himself.
After the death of Sheikh Sekimwanyi, Sheikh Ahmed Nsambu became his successor.

After a short period, Sheikh Nsambu convinced Sheikh Swaibu Semakula and his group of Juma and Zukuli based at Kibuli. As a result, Sheikh Swaibu Semakula together with many of his followers reconciled and started praying Juma Njereere. They later teamed up with Prince Badru Kakungulu who also started praying Juma Njereere.
It was around this time that representatives of the two groups sat at Kibuli and agreed on a power sharing deal in which Sheikh Swaibu Semakula became the Mufti and Shk. Nsambu took the position of Sheikh Islam.

His decision to team up with Prince Kakungulu and Kibuli Juma and Zukuli group angered many of his followers of Bukoto Nateete and decided to replace him with Sheikh Zaid Mugenyiasooka as their leader of Bukoto Nateete. They branded Sheikh Nsambu a traitor and created a song known as “Sheikh Nsambu Atalamagga” meaning Shk. Nsambu was inconsistent.

Among the many contributions he made to Islam included taking Muslim students to Egypt and Madina plus teaching many Sheikhs. Among the sheikhs he taught were; Sheikh Obedi Lutale (father to Sheikh Abdul Obedi Kamulegeya), Sheikh Naswir Mutyaba (his son), Sheikh Kaabi Kinene (his son), Shk. Semwogerere Isa of Nakawa, Shk. Idi Mpiima of Nateete, Shk. Sowed of Maya, Shk. Sulaimani Katende of Kibibi (known as Imam wa ba’Imam), Sheikh Ibrahim Tamusuza of Ssimba Butambala and many others.
Sheikh Nsambu taught and preached Islam both here in Uganda and outside Uganda. He initiated a very good relationship between Ugandan Muslims and their counterparts in Mombasa, Zanzibar and Kenya. As a result, his elder son; Shk. Naswiri Mutyaba was able to marry a Swahili Woman from Mombasa.

Apart from Serving both Prince Nuhu Mbogo and later Prince Badru Kakungulu, Shk. Nsambu was a close friend to Prince Badru Kakungulu which prompted Prince Kakungulu to give him one of his Sisters Princess Nalinya Rukia Baliraala for marriage.

Sheikh Ahmed Nsambu died in 1984 and was buried at one of the historical Mosques of Nateete built in 1865. This is the place where 65 Arabs were martyred during the religious wars under King Kalema’s reign.

Basing on the above, we are talking about a Sheikh who was a nationalist, a Sheikh who sought unity of Muslims at all costs, a Pan Africanist whose horizon goes beyond Uganda as far as Islamic propagation is concerned, someone who valued both secular and Islamic education for his children and for all Ugandans. We are witnessing a wonderful linguist who traversed Africa in seeking and sharing knowledge thereby fulfilling the Prophet Muhammad (SAW’s) Hadith seek knowledge even if it is in China.

Sheikh Ahmed Nsambu sacrificed his position of leadership in Bukoto Nateete for the sake of Muslim unity. He detested disunity, he persevered all kinds of black mail and character assassination for the sake of Islam.

Indeed this Sheikh is a Uganda Muslim hero though unsung. May Allah reward him for his good deeds.

Haji Nsereko Mutumba
Public Relations Officer
Uganda Muslim Supreme Council
Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504
Email: pro_umsc@yahoo.com

The Unsung Muslim Heroes of Uganda:Sheikh Obedi Lutale- father of Sheikh Abdu Obedi Kamulegeya

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba

Sheikh Obedi Lutake was a son of Mr. Sirimu Semmindi and Mariam Kutuma.Sheikh Obeid Lutale was initially taught Islam by Sheikh Haji Ahamada Nsambu. He was later taught by a number of Sheikhs who included Sheikh Obedi Sirimu Bboggomensi who was a Muwalimu in Mumyuka Sub County, Mirembe Parish in Butambala County.

Sheikh Obedi Lutale

He was later appointed as the Twale Sheikh (County Sheikh) of Butambala County, a position he held for 8 years before assuming of the position of Deputy to Sheikh Ahamada Nsambu who was the leader of the Juma Muslim sect. He served as the chairman of Hajjis (Muslims who Performed Pilgrimage to Makka) for 10 years.

In 1943, he performed pilgrimage together with Sheikh Haji Abdallah Sekimwanyi and Sheikh Haji Muhammad Lubowa.
Sheikh Obedi Lutale reported the two in Makka over the issues of Juma and Zukuli prayers on Fridays.

After Juma prayer, they used to perfom Zukuli, a practice that Shk. Obedi found unIslamic.The authorities in Makka issued a Fatuwa (Islamic ruling) on which Sheikh Haji Swaibu Semakula and Sheikh Haji Ahmada Nsambu based to reconcile the two sides and establish Juma Prayers in Uganda.

After the reconciliation, Sheikh Obedi Lutale was appointed Deputy Kadhi. The Kadhi was Sheikh Muhammad Lubowa. By then, the title of Kadhi meant the head of the Kibuli based Muslim Community. He served as deputy Kadhi for two years and he was put in charge of Muslim properties (Land and Mosques) in Uganda.

Shortly before Uganda’s independence, Shk. Obedi was elected chairman of a committee that was in charge of political affairs of the colonial and Ugandan political leadership.

Sheikh Obedi also served as a Junior Judge (B) for a period of four years in Mmengo.In 1965, there emerged misunderstandings among Muslim leaders in Uganda leading to the formation of NAAM whose aims were:
·To ensure that Muslims in Uganda are led by a Sheikh
·To have a constitution for Muslim Leadership in Uganda
·To ensure that Islam is recognized as a religion in Uganda like other religions.

Sheikh Obedi was in charge of the constitutional committee that drafted the first constitution for Muslims following the recognition of Islam as a religion in Uganda. In the same year, he was appointed by the government as the Councilor for West Buganda District Administration representing Mawokota.

He was also a member of the board of trustees of NAAM elected in 1969. He was also the District Kadhi of West Buganda Muslim District (Kyadondo).

He was one of the founding members African Muslim community. The others were Haji Katongole, Haji Musa Kasule and Shk. Ahamada Nsambu.

Sheikh Obedi did a great job of educating his children many of whom grew up to prominence. Among them is Sheikh Abdu Obedi Kamulegeya who led UMSC twice and currently the Country Director of World Muslim League. He is one of the founders of NAAM.

The late Haji Asadu Lutale was a prominent teacher as well as a politician. He served as an RDC in several government districts. By the time he died, he was the RDC of Mpigi District.

Many of his grandchildren are PHD holders, masters and other degrees.

Sheikh Obeid was innocently murdered during President Amins regime, Ina Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Rajiuna.

According to the above information THOUGH NOT COMPLETE, we are witnessing a great sheikh who is a revolutionary, a patriot, an educationist, a politician as well as a devoted religious leader. Therefore if he is not honoured as a hero, what else can you call him? Though unsung.

Haji Nsereko Mutumba
Public Relations Officer
Uganda Muslim Supreme Council
Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504
Email: pro_umsc@yahoo.com

HISTORIC KIBULI MOSQUE:Built at the cost of 250,000 UGX and completed in in 1951

A visit to the historic Kibule Mosque on the hill overlooking downtown Kampala reveals a hidden gem which visitors to the city often miss. However, the history of the mosque and its administration is closely linked to the history of the city, and indeed, country.

The mosque’s history is closely linked to the history of Islam in the country. In 1844, Islam came to Uganda. Suuna II was Kabaka of the Buganda Kingdom from 1832 to 1856. He embraced Islam but there were some teachings which were at odds with Buganda practice and when his son, Mwanga II became Kabaka these were exacerbated. Over the course of the next generation, with the arrival of colonial powers the role of Kabaka was split from leadership of the Muslim community. Prince Nuhu Mbogo (meaning ‘buffalo’) was particularly strong so the British gave him the plot on the hill in Kibule thinking he would build his palace there. Instead, he built it in the valley and donated the land on the hill for a small mosque to be constructed. Later, Prince Mbogo’s son, Prince Badru Kakungulu donated a further 80 acres in order that additional institutions could be built.

In 1941, the Aga Kan visited and wanted to assist in building a mosque on the site. The cost was to be 250,000 UGX and in order to help facilitate fundraising the Aga Khan offered a ‘shilling for a shilling’ fund matching programme and as money was raised building began.

The mosque was completed in 1951 and opened for service that year. The current patron of the mosque is Prince Kassim Nakibinge Kakungulu, the grandson of Prince Mbogo. It has been visited by a number of dignataries including the Presidents of Iran, Sudan, Zambia and Tanzania, the current and all previous Kabakas and Presidents of Uganda, the King of Saudi Arabia, and the Aga Khan.

Kibuli Mosque sits atop Kibule Hill along with an associated nursery, primary and secondary schools, hospital and nursing school. It is easy to access from the centre by either car or public transport. See the map below.

When visiting make sure to bring your camera and climb the minaret which offers magnificent views of Kampala. Also, make sure to note the giant Mango tree directly in front of the mosque. It is far older than the mosque and was left as it is as a reference point to all historical pictures.

The mosque is open and welcomes visitors between times of prayer. The best times to visit are: 8am-12pm, 2-4pm, and 5-7pm.

The Unsung Muslim Heroes of Uganda:Alimiya Sajjabi Iga Ssalongo-the first Ugandan Muslim to go to a secular education school and a page boy to Prince Nuhu Mbogo

Alimiya Sajjabi Iga Ssalongo

By Haji Nsereko Mutumba

Alimiya Sajjabi Iga Ssalongo was born in 1882. He belongs to Engabi clan.His parents were Mr. Mazinga Kamoga of Katalemwa – Busiro and Sophia Namugalu his mother. Sajjabi is the one who converted his mother Sophia Namugalu to Islam. He was the 15th out of the 41 children of his father.

Sajjabi was a pageboy (omusiige) to Prince Nuhu Mbogo after being seconded by his elder brother Adam Kakeeto Yiga. This was after Mbogo’s return from exile.

He was among those taught by the prominent Sheikh Khalifan Ibn Mubarak. He had the privilege to study with Prince Badru Kakungulu the son of Prince Nuhu Mbogo the then leader of Muslim Community.
He served Prince Mbogo diligently and honestly. He was one of the few servants who never tested the wrath of Prince Mbogo’s stick (Lugoggo).

Mbogo trusted him to the extent of giving him one of his daughters, but he declined saying that their friendship would not last. He instead fronted Ali Kamoga, a son to his elder brother Adam Kakeeto Yiga. Ali Kamoga was therefore the one who ended up marrying Princess Hafswa Nakabirye – Prince Mbogo’s daughter.
Sajjabi was selected by Prince Mbogo to go for studies in a catholic school following an incident in which Prince Mbogo did not turn up for a ceremony organised by King Daudi Chwa II.

Sajjabi’s hand written details of his children. He wrote this in 1910 when he was 18 years old

Although he received the invitation, Prince Mbogo who was the regent and grandfather of King Daudi Chwa II kept the letter because he did not know what it meant. When Sir Daudi Chwa II King of Buganda later met Prince Mbogo his beloved grandfather, he asked him as to why he never honoured his invitation to the function. In response, Prince Mbogo told the king that he did not know what the letter meant and he felt sorry.

The king felt concerned and told the prince to choose a trusted person from his servants to be taken to school for secular education.Prince Mbogo chose his most trusted servant Alimiya Sajjabi Salongo Yiga.

Sajjabi was already married at this point with two wives with an established home based at Kibuli hill where the Mosque is situated today. He is the one who planted the mango tree which stands in front of Kibuli Mosque.
When he was admitted at Nsambya Catholic Primary School, he went with his praying mat (Omusaalo), an abolution kettle (Zinzimia) and his wooden Sadals (Emikalabanda). He used to conduct Adhan (Muslim call for prayers) loudly and always prayed in although this was purely a Catholic school. He excelled in his studies because of his previous knowledge in Islamic studies and Arabic language.

Catholic Fathers tried hard to convert him to Christianity when he was at Nsambya Catholic Primary school because they found him highly intelligent. Because of his dedication to his religion, he opposed them and left the school after primary four.

He later became the Principal Private Secretary to Prince Nuhu Mbogo (Bwaana Mbogo).
Sajjabi was the first Secretary of Muslim Community – during Mbogo’s time. He also served as the head of Prince Mbogo’s treasury in charge of collecting and keeping finances.
After Prince Mbogo’s demise, Sajjabi continued to serve Prince Badru Kakungulu who succeeded his father as head of Muslim Community.

He also worked as the registrar of Muslim marriages in Kyaddondo Twale (County) under Muslim Community as well as a trustee of Uganda Muslim Education Association (UMEA). He died on 27th October 1963 at the age of 81 years.

Several of his children grew up to prominence. They include Dauda Sajjabi Kamya who was the first black Ugandan Inspector of works in 1964; Zakaria Bukenya was the pioneer Managing Director of East African Development Bank.

Basing on the Prophet Muhammad SAW’s Hadith which says “seek knowledge even if it is as far as China” this man fulfilled this Hadith not only in Islamic knowledge but also in secular education. This man won the trust of the most powerful Prince of Buganda of that time to the extent of even giving his own daughter to him. If you don’t honour him as a hero, what else can you call him? Mr. Alimiya Sajjabi Salongo Yiga is among those Ugandan Muslim heroes though unsung.

Haji Nsereko Mutumba
Public Relations Officer
Uganda Muslim Supreme Council
Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504
Email: pro_umsc@yahoo.com

The Unsung Muslim Heroes of Uganda: Adam Kamya Tamusaange Wozamaangu Kidibye Mutaasa

Adam Kamya Tamusaange Wozamaangu Kidibye Mutaasa

Adam Kamya Tamusaange Wozamaangu Kidibye Mutaasa was born in 1842 in Bbira Busiro. He was from the Monkey Clan (Nkima Clan). His parents were; Mr. Matembe Kafeero Ssalongo and Lady Nabbosa Nvandiirwa Nnamirembe.
He was in thick and thin of religious wars initially as an ordinary fighter then later as in charge of gun oiling department (Ekyoza Emmundu) from where he was taken to the King Kalema’s guards (Ekitaasa) where he became the leader after seven months.

During this time, he accumulated a lot of Islamic knowledge from the Arabs who used to bring gun powder to Bulemezi country then governed by owesaza Kibirango (Kangaawo).

After the defeat of Muslims by Christians and the death of King Kalema in 1891, it was a turbulent time for Muslims. The persecution of Muslims was at its peak.

Mutaasa and his colleagues left Buganda in 1893; they established Islamic propagation hideouts in Kijungute in Bunyoro but later went deeper to a place called Kyererwa.

After propagating Islam in this area, they left Kyererwa and Mutaasa led a team of over 80 Bajungute and they moved through Buganda to Buwekula, Kitosi, Kabigi, Kabukunge and other adjacent areas of Kibinge in Buddu Masaka until they entered Kabula Ankole(before it was given to Buganda) in June 1889.
In the course of their journey, one of the villages where they stayed was named Mu Kitaasa in honor of Adam Kidibye Mutaasa for introducing Islam to the area.

His team included his brother in law Mubi Azaalwa, Kassim Buufa Magaba, Badiru Ssenoga, Samuel Balironda, Tabu Gasuza, Musa Ssegani, Juma Kiriba Kyattaka, Rashid Kabaale and Budala – Zaidi Muddu.

Some members of his team decided to stay in Bunyoro where their descendants live up to today.
In Kabula, Mutaasa with his two wives Fatuma Birungi Okutuma and Zayinabu Nakayima settled at Kitebero- Kateete and made another home at Nyamitanga next to where the school and the mosque are today.

At this time there wasn’t any mosque in Mbarara yet. He and his fellow Bajungute worked tooth and nail and they built a small mud and wattle mosque in Nyamitanga. Later a bigger mosque and school were built.
He set up a Mosque and Muslim school at Kalagala which still exists.

By doing this, he was following in the footsteps of Sheikh Abdul Aziz Nsubuga Bulwadda (former district commissioner of Ankole who opened the door for more Muslim teachers to go to Ankole and propagate Islam. These Muslim teachers included Musa Kyempwanyi, Asumani Namunye and many others.

When Kabula was handed over to Buganda, Mutaasa was one of those chiefs who were sent to Ankole by the ruling officials in Buganda to start a system of governance similar to that practiced in Buganda.
During these times, Baganda from different religious denominations were sent to Ankole to perform this duty and the majority of whom and the first to go were the heroic Muslims known as Abajungute (Islamic religious war fighters).

He entered Ankole in 1899 during Omugabe Kahaya II’s reign. Prime Minister Mbaguta was the regent Mugabe since the Omugabe (king) was still young.
Mutaasa was warmly welcomed by Mbaguta in Ankole. He settled at a place called Kamukuzi from where he started service.

The Omugabe was impressed and made him Sub county chief of Bugamba in Mukwenda County Rwampara. He later became county chief of Kajara.

On his appointment as county chief, Mutaasa went to the Enganzi (Premier) Mbaguta and said;
“Sir, I have been appointed County Chief and for that I am very happy, but I am suggesting that I take up the lower position of Sub County chief as I have been or else I only act at the county level to enable me accomplish my pledge.”

He went on;
“Besides Sir I am a highly qualified Sheikh in my late 60s and had earlier on in Buganda pledged to fight for and teach the word of Allah for as long as Allah would allow. So far I have done only one fulfillment and that is fighting for Islam, even by being this far from home and why, is a matter and part of that same cause Sir.
With the affections you have always shown me Sir, I request that you grant me this wish of mine to enable me accomplish these pledges. By so doing Sir, you will have reduced on the pressure of my work and enabled me very well serve my two masters at ago i.e. my God and the Omugabe.” (Who is Mutaasa and Kafeero? By Haji Hassan Mutaasa Kafeero June, 2002) pg. 7)

Mbaguta granted his wish and appointed him Sub County chief of Bwongyera and permanent acting county chief of Kasujja-Kajara.
It is known that the majority of Muslims in Ankole have root in “Mutaaza’s razor blade” meaning he personally circumcised them or they were circumcised by his preachers.

Although most if not all, Mutaasa’s children are dead, the grand and great grandchildren are numerous. They are the majority of Baganda Muslims found in Ankole.

In fulfilling his pledge which he stated in front of Prime Minister Mbaguta, Mutaasa used his free time to teach Quran/Islam at Kemishego Mosque.

He was a great inspiration to young Muslims especially his grandchildren, many of whom have grown up to be prominent Muslims today. They include Haji Hassan Mutaasa Kafeero, the owner of Mutaasa Kafeero Plaza and Hotel Triangle, and Mr. Yubu Mugwanya Lukabwe former teacher to the author (Haji Nsereko Mutumba) at Kyarubambura Muslim primary school in Bukanga Isingiro.

Children liked him for his jolly nature. He used to sing the following famous Islamic line to children;
“Lailaaha ila’Allah Muhammadu Rasulullah Abibuuna limustafa wa shaida libashal.”
Mutaasa died on 8th June 1952 at the age of 110 at Kiyenze village Bwongyera Kajara Ankole and buried at Kemishego Mosque Kajara Mbarara (a mosque which he himself built. He also donated the land on which the mosque stands).

Heroism is normally made by accomplishments. According to what I have read and heard about this great Mujungute by the names of Adam Kamya Tamusaange Wozamaangu Kidibye Mutaasa, he has accomplished enough for Islam in Uganda to be honored as a Muslim hero though unsung.

Haji Nsereko Mutumba
Public Relations Officer
Uganda Muslim Supreme Council
Tel: 0701409504 or 0772409504
Email: pro_umsc@yahoo.com