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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council-UMSC will go to the polls after amending the constitution.
On Wednesday, the UMSC general assembly, the council’s top decision organ, finalized scrutinizing and approving the amended constitution which is supposed to be followed while electing new Muslim local leaders right from the mosque level to the next UMSC general assembly.
In a session that went up to 11:00pm, the general assembly concluded by electing a new electoral commission before winding up their mandate.
Ashraf Zziwa Muvawala, the UMSC spokesperson, noted that the general assembly elected Omar Muhammad Weswa as the UMSC Electoral Commission chairperson. Weswa has previously served as the secretary to the outgoing electoral commission chair.
Zziwa adds that the assembly also elected ten other commissions drawing one from each Muslim region.
A source notes that minutes before the constitution was approved, delegates rejected the idea of allowing the Mufti to appoint the chairperson of the electoral commission.
“The draft constitution had proposed that mufti be the one to select the electoral commission boss but this was rejected and commissioners were selected by the assembly by voting,” a source notes.
Zziwa says the commissioners were tasked to seat and develop a road map and regulations that will be followed in the country-wide elections for all elective positions.
The UMSC elections, which were initially scheduled for March-May, didn’t take place due to the lack of funds and delayed completion of the constitutional review process. The leadership at Old Kampala decided to postpone dates for existing meetings of different committees and general assembly to allow the conclusion of the drafting of the amended constitution and also mobilize funds.
UMSC management had budgeted 6.9 billion Shillings for the election activities as they looked for funds, and the government through a supplementary budget allocated 2.5 billion Shillings to facilitate the activities.
Information gathered by our reporter indicates that Muslims will be electing all leaders apart from the Mufti, District Khadis, county sheikhs, and Imams whose tenures are still running. For instance, a new mufti will not be elected until the reigning Sheikh Shaban Ramadan Mubaje leaves office in 2025.
Hajj Suleiman Musana, a member of the general assembly says that a section of delegates wanted the mufti to also retire from the office so that he is subjected to a vote under the new constitution, but it was rejected.
Mufti Mubaje was elected in 2000. At that time the constitution required that the leader in that high office retires after clocking 70 years. However, along the way, several Muslims have had a second thought on this provision and in the newly approved constitution, it was decided that the mufti will rule for one ten-year term.
Hajj Musana notes that the new constitution has also raised the academic qualifications for members of the General Assembly and National Executive Committee.
“This was another highly debated issue. At last, it was agreed that those who wish to be members of the assembly should have a minimum of A ‘level either in Islamic or secular studies. However, those eying for posts on national executive must have a degree,” Hajj Musana adds.
Musana adds that this provision has closed the door for many delegates who attended the assembly but the majority accepted in a spirit of having better Muslim leadership and placing UMSC under the stewardship of learned people.
For the first time, the elections will include special interest groups. According to the new constitution, Muslims will elect committees for women and youth right from the mosque level and up to the national level. National leaders of the two committees will be members of the general assembly joined by two other special interest group representatives from each of the ten Muslim regions.
Zziwa says that the changes in elective positions will see the next general assembly swell from 230 delegates to at least 274.
“All Muslim districts will have equal representation of three members, one of them being the District Khadi. We will also have 20 special nominees and 22 representatives of special interest groups,” he says.
However, the office of the Regional Khadis was removed from the administrative structures of UMSC and current holders were given new responsibility to supervise and coordinate different issues on behalf of the mufti. They will now be called regional assistants to the mufti (RAM) and will be appointed by the college of sheikhs.
The forthcoming UMSC elections are expected to provide a platform for the unity of Muslims with Tabliq Juma and Zukuri factions led by Amir Ummah Sheikh Muhammad Yunus Kamoga and led by Sheikh Obed Kamulegeya respectively expected to take part. but, the Kibuli faction has since distanced itself from the process.
With elections pending, there is a section of Muslims who have been part of UMSC who are opposed to the entire process and have since run to court to oppose it.
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