Court Blocks Sheikh Ssemambo’s Interim Mufti Appointment

Summary:

• The High Court in Jinja has issued an interim order blocking the appointment of Sheikh Abdallah Ssemambo as Uganda’s acting mufti amid internal disputes within the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, involving legal battles and a leadership change.

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The High Court in Jinja has issued a temporary order preventing the installation of Sheikh Abdallah Ssemambo as the acting mufti of Uganda. Dr. Winfred Nabisinde issued the restraint order on Monday, halting the execution of court orders related to company cause number 002/2023. The order remains in effect until December 22, when Principal Judge Dr. Flavian Zeija will review the case.

The interim order follows an application by the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) seeking a stay of execution for a court judgment that allowed the Muslim council general assembly to convene a special session. The assembly was tasked with examining the affairs of the UMSC and promptly submitting a report to the court.

On December 12, Jinja High Court judge Faridah Shamilah Bukirwa Ntambi directed the general assembly to meet and investigate UMSC affairs. Ntambi specified that the special session should be overseen by a neutral chairperson in a neutral venue.

The legal proceedings stem from a company case filed against UMSC by Yudaya Babirye, Burhan Namanya, and Hussein Simbwa, who contested the conduct of UMSC affairs and the continuous sale of Muslim properties.

In a separate incident on Saturday, a group of around 180 Muslims, identifying as members of the UMSC general assembly, declared the suspension of the current mufti, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, for six months. They replaced him with Sheikh Abdallah Ssemambo and appointed Haji Isa Gule as the acting UMSC chairman.

However, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, who has been in office since December 2000, reportedly refuses to leave office before the expiration of his term in 2025, citing adherence to UMSC’s constitution.

The Interreligious Council of Uganda, led by Archbishop Dr. Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, has intervened in the matter to facilitate reconciliation between the conflicting parties. Joshua Kitakule, the Secretary-General of the IRCU, confirmed ongoing efforts for dialogue.

The root cause of the UMSC crisis revolves around the sale of Ssembabule Muslim land. The dispute includes a sale agreement signed in 2020, legal battles, and orders for UMSC to transfer the certificate of title to Enterprise Uganda Limited. The Court of Appeal has temporarily halted the attachment of UMSC properties pending the outcome of the appeal by UMSC.