Top Muslim youth leaders stripped of powers to run William street mosque

Top Muslim youth leaders stripped of powers to run

 William street mosque

KAMPALA .The leader of the Muslim Tabliq sect, Sheikh Yunus Kamoga has urged Muslims to remain united despite internal bickering that threatens to tear the top youth leadership apart.

Speaking after Juma prayers at Nakasero Mosque last Friday, Sheik Kamoga said all possible avenues are being explored to keep his leadership together.

“Despite our internal differences, we have we remain brothers and sisters and nothing should tear us apart,” he said  

Kamoga’s call came a day after four members of his executive were stripped of the powers to run William Street Mosque. These include; Sheik Swidiq Ndaula, Sheik Mustapha Bahiga, Hajj Najib Ssonko and Sheik Hassan Kirya .

The decision followed complaints from worshippers that the officials had dominated the affairs of the mosque for years yet they also sit on the national executive committee.

“A mosque is supposed to have its own management committee ,but surprisingly all the affairs have been run by members of the top executive committee .So ,this is unfair and we cannot move like that,” said Hajj Umar Ausi Kamoga ,the publicity secretary on the new mosque committee .

The worshippers also accuse their leaders of serving for nine years without their mandate and failing to give proper accountabilities of the money collected from the mosque.

Others elected on the mosque  committee include, Hajj Haruna Saazi Mabira ,chairperson ,Salim Kasujja(Secretary) ,Hajj Abdulhamid Kiganila ( Treasurer),  Abdul Hamid Salim and Hamiis Matovu( both in charge of Defence ) and Sheik Hassan Nyanzi and Yonus Kabenge( Imams)

But Sheik Kirya, who also doubles as the spokesperson of the Kibuli-based Muslim administration said the new team was illegally installed and insisting that the old management is the one supposed to run the mosque.

“ We know what transpired and in the spirit of  living in harmony, we   never wanted to cause unnecessary tension but our top management  is sitting on Monday(today) to resolve that matter,” he said by telephone on Saturday

The mosque, located on Plot 30 William Street  has been under contention since 2005 .The Muslim youths seized control of it the same year following reports that the administration of Mufti Shaban Mubajje at Old Kampala had sold it to city businessman  Hassan Basajjabalaba through   his firm, Haks Express Ltd who later sold it to another businessman Mr Drake  Lubega at $2milion .It houses at least 50 shops and a mosque.

Despite Muslims occupying it and collecting dues from shops, Lubaga still insists that it belongs to him and the property legally belongs to him and possesses   the title deed. There are unconfirmed reports that government has since compensated Lubega to enable the property  revert to the Muslims.

The Muslim Community has suffered a series of leadership wrangles since the 1960s with one faction fighting to produce the supreme leader .There have been several attempt by successive governments to unit them in vain.

When Idi Amin seized power in 1971, he compelled all the groups to merge under Uganda Muslim Supreme Council. He also took over responsibility of naming the Mufti which caused some unity but after his government collapsed, they split again . 

Unity was again achieved in 2000 when the groups came under Mubajje ,but his administration is also suffered the same   with a section of Muslims accusing him of  selling community land , and this  led to breakaway faction led by Sheikh Zubair Kayongo.