Kadaga declines request to mediate between rival muslim factions

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | The speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga has declined a request to mediate between rival Muslim factions.

Kadaga was meeting a group of Muslim youth , Muslim ambassadors who had called on her seeking her intervention in a number of issues affecting their members at the Parliament conference hall on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the national chairperson of the group Male Kassim requested the speaker to facilitate cooperation between the rival Muslim factions of Kibuli, Nakasero and Old Kampala which are reportedly bickering. He says the rivalry is impeding the success of development projects of the youths.

According to Kassim, the major problem they faced as Muslim youths is that they are often asked which faction are they from before they can be helped.

Kassim also highlighted other challenges faced by Muslim youth in the country like unfair and uncalled for arrests and intimidation by members of the security forces, and the fact that many of them have been always picked up as suspects just because they are Muslims.

He also called on the speaker to facilitate links between the association and Muslim Parliamentarians in order to enable the progress of development activities benefiting the group.

Kadaga told the group that she cannot intervene between rival Muslim factions noting that she wanted to maintain her cordial relations with all groups and therefore cannot start asking one to give up something for the other.

The different factions of the Muslims in Kampala is largely over leadership and property wrangles.

In 2012, President Museveni had appointed a team to resolve the wrangles among Muslims by identifying the causes and making recommendations, but to date this has not been resolved.