UMSC Progressing on the Right Track, Mufti Says

Kawanda, Wakiso-His Eminence Dr. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, the Mufti of Uganda, has expressed delight that after decades. of toiling, Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) is steadily taking the right track towards tangible development.

The Mufti made the remarks in a jovial speech he delivered at a colourful graduation ceremony organised by the family of Hon. Counsel Haj Muhammad Ali Aluma, the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Finance and Administration, following his successful completion of a Master of Laws degree from the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU).
The thanksgiving ceremony also celebrated the family’s official entrance into their newly built home at Kiggaga Zone, Kawanda, Wakiso District, on January 3, 2026.
“Our elders managed to steer the activities of the council with their humble education during their time. So that is a gone era,” the Mufti said. He added, “When I decided to join them as a university graduate, some of the Muslim elites laughed and jeered at me, wondering how I would be working with such people with low grades.”
The Mufti made the remarks while speaking in a blend of Kiswahili, English, and Luganda, and punctuated his speech with Holy Qur’anic quotations in Arabic, in which Almighty Allah admonishes believers to seek knowledge. Guests at the function came from as far as Yumbe and Arua in West Nile, Mbale, Soroti, among other areas.
The Mufti said he was not dissuaded by the negative energy but instead knew that he had to work with the elders and that a time would come when they would leave with dignity. “Now let those who used to laugh at us come and see,” the Mufti said, smiling, noting that UMSC is proud of its long struggle to build a well-trained human resource that is now in charge of running its activities. His remarks drew chants of “Allahu Akbar — God is Greatest” from the guests.
The Mufti also urged other members serving at various levels of UMSC to return to school and advance their education, saying this is urgently needed to improve managerial skills in the current era.
Before concluding his speech, the Mufti informed the guests and the wider public that he, together with other mainstream religious leaders under the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU), recently held engagements with President Yoweri Museveni, Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Inspector General of Police Abbas Byakagaba, and other government officials. He said they were briefed on the processes and management of the forthcoming general elections due in mid-January 2026. According to the Mufti, IRCU was assured of peaceful and fair elections, and religious leaders urged all Ugandans to abide by electoral laws and regulations and to maintain peace during and after the elections.
Prior to the Mufti’s address, Dr. Haj Edris Sserugo Kasenene, the former UMSC Secretary General and guest speaker, spoke highly of the value of acquiring knowledge despite hardships. “Man was created with animal instincts, so he can only eliminate them through acquiring knowledge, and whoever hasn’t studied remains acting like an animal,” he said, drawing laughter from the guests.
Meanwhile, His Eminence Dr. Sheikh Hafiz Muhammad Harunah Bukenya welcomed the guests, while Hon. Hadji Abbas Muluubya Ssekyanzi, the UMSC Secretary General, hailed Hon. Aluma for being cooperative and hardworking. He added that as a son from the West Nile Muslim region, Aluma’s graduation was another gift to the region, coming after UMSC had granted it five new Muslim districts. Sheikh Erias Kigozi, the host Kadhi of Wakiso Muslim District, spoke on behalf of the Kadhis in attendance.
On his part, Counsel Aluma spoke emotionally, wiping tears as he narrated his personal struggles from primary education to the highest academic levels, including the loss of both his parents. He thanked the Mufti for being a father figure since he joined UMSC, saying, “Thank you, Your Eminence, for standing by my side.” He also expressed gratitude to his immediate family members for the support they have offered him.
Attendees were high profile personalities who included; UMSC Executives, departmental heads, Prof Dr. Sheikh Ziyad Swaleh Lubanga, Director of Sharia, Regional Assistants to the Mufti, District kadhis, Hereditary tribal chief of the Aringa in West Nile, Mr. Ahmad Ochama, senor staff, Uganda Electoral commission, prominent shiekhs, Area leaders among others.