Hon.Muhammad Ali Aluma Takes Over As UMSC Acting Secretary General

The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council-UMSC Joint Session Committee comprising of the Executive Committee and Majlis Al Ulama Committee-College of Eminent Sheikhs, the second most top organ of the council has appointed Hon. Muhammad Ali Aluma as the Acting UMSC Secretary General for the next three months commencing April 5th 2023.

The members under stewardship of Hon. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Lubega Kisambira, the UMSC National Chairperson reached the decision following findings from a 5 member team appointed by the Joint Session Committee in their last sitting on April 1st, 2023 to investigate the validity of the contract of Dr. Ramathan Mugalu, the former UMSC Secretary as he had claimed.

The team chaired by Counsel Musa Kabega authored a 9 page report indicating that the tenure of Dr. Mugalu had long expired following his nomination and appointment by a similar organ on Jan 21st 2015 in line with the UMSC Constitution.

Counsel Dr. Adam Rajab Makmot Kibwanga read the report to the attentive members who later deliberated the findings and resolved to appoint an acting Secretary General pending the election of a substantive office holder within 3 months. Haj Muhamood Kateregga and Muhammad Ali Aluma were presented as candidates and at the end Mr Aluma carried the day as was nominated and sworn in for the position by Hon. Were Abubaker Wadangho the UMSC Independent Electoral Commission Chairperson.

Earlier on ten newly appointed Regional representatives to the Property & Endowment (Awqaf) under chairmanship of Hon. Counsel Mugaino Abubakar and his Deputy Haj Jamada Luuta Musoke we’re sworn in. Others sworn in were 21 members of the Muslim Arbitration & Conciliation Committee under Sheikh Abdu Obeid Kamulegeya and Sheikh Luutu Sulaiman Wandera. The committee is mainly comprised of the former Muslim leaders and included Sheikh Hussein Rajab Kakooza among other prominent elderly Sheikhs.

In his speech, His Eminence Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje the Mufti of Uganda described the newly amended UMSC Constitution as bitter pill, which aims at curing Administrative illnesses that had affected the well being of the Council. “I am really delighted that the Constitution is being implemented. So the noise made in public by disgruntled individuals is because they found themselves lacking the necessary academic qualifications for their desired Council positions,” Sheikh Mubaje remarked.

Turning to the Members of the Property & Endowment Trust, the Mufti urged them to execute their duties diligently without fear or favour. “Your appointment is meant to save the Mufti’s Office because whatever has been going wrong concerning Muslim property in the past, the blame has always been put squarely on the Mufti,” he said

On his part Sheikh Kamulegeya called upon Muslims to utilize his Committe to settle their disputes while Mr. Mugaino pledged to offer all the necessary expertise in management of Muslim properties.

Lastly, Hon. Aluma pledged to create an enabling environment that will facilitate a smooth transition to the substantive Secretary General.

In attendance were His Eminence Sheikh Abdallah Ibrahim Ssemambo Tamusuza, the Deputy Mufti of Uganda and His Eminence Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa, the 2nd Deputy Mufti.