By Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi
The year 1985 remains historical in Uganda when we had two governments. There was one under Gen. Tito Okello Lutwa, Chairman of the Military Council and Head of State, whom my St. Victor’s Senior Secondary School Kitaasa, Bamweyana called the “Mayor of Kampala,” and another, under the National Resistance Movement/Army (NRM/A) under Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
After secrete negotiations, the Military Council signed peace agreements with all the fighting groups including the Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM) under Lutakome Kayiira, Federal Democratic Movement of Uganda (FEDEMU) under Dr. Lwanga, Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF) under Moses Ali and Former Uganda National Army (FUNA) under Isaac Lumago, except NRM/NRA.
Unlike other fighting groups who either joined the Okellos when they mutinied against Obote like UNRF and FUNA, and FEDEMU and UFM who came out of the bush sloganeering that Obote, whom they had fought, had been overthrown. NRM/NRA laid their conditions for talks, which were to be external, first in Dar Es Salaam and later in Nairobi, power sharing on a 5-50 basis of Military Council and Cabinet, the national army among others.
Eventually a peace agreement was signed but was not implemented by Okello but by NRM/NRA after victory in 1986 when it formed a broad-based government composed of all political parties and all fighting groups.
Likewise, the agreement that was signed between Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje and former Chief Qadhi of Uganda Sheih Abdul Obeid Kamulegeya on Friday September 3, at Od Kamala National Mosque, where the former represented the main stream UMSC , and the latter included the break away faction from Kibuuli is similar to the agreements the Okellos signed with the other fighting groups.
We are yet to see an agreement between Old Kampala and Kibuli under Prince Kassim Nakibinge Kakungululu.
While Kibuli claims that it is committed to Kabwegyere Report, which l also personally believe that it was a milestone if implemented, Old Kampala says that it had personalized issues yet UMSC has also implemented some of the recommendations of the Kabwegyere Report, one of the them is appointing Regional Qadhis, who were part of UMSC at inception in 1972, but were done away with in 1974.
Before the Mubajje-Kamulegeya deal, a constitutional review commission was announced by UMSC but that is the second time a constitutional review commission is announced by Old Kampala and the first one, never worked.
It should be recalled that in 2000, Sheikh Mubajje who was Mbale District Qadhi for Old Kampala and Kibuli and District Amiir for Nakasero, had promised reforms in UMSC constitution including a Mufti to lead for a five year term, renewable once. If that had been implemented, Sheikh Mubajje would have left office in 2010. But that did not materialize amidst infighting and blame games by both sides.
Secondly, this is not the first time, the Mufti has made peace with other factions. In 2014, he made peace with the Spidiqa Foundation and the Tabliqh sect based at Nakasero, but that was short lived as Old Kampala wanted to grab if it did not grab Masjid Noor at William Street from Nakasero.
In Masaka, l have personally been spear heading reconciliation between the two main stream Muslim factions and so far we had agreed that no Muslim should be blocked from praying in the main mosque as it had been witnessed in some cases.
Unlike in the past, when Muslims disagreed over ideology, between Juma Sect Bukoto Nateete and Juma, Zukuri Sect Kawempe, New Juma Kibuli, National Association for the Advancement of Muslims (NAAM)at Wandegeya, this time factionalism is based on materialism.
As Dr.Muhammad Ahmad Kisuule said at the funeral prayer of Sheikh Zubair Kayongo, it was high time the UMSC constitution is amended to include even non Sunni Muslims like Shiah, it should also embrace affirmative action on women, youth, and people with disability, among others.
The most significant is the Board of Trustees that will be in charge of Muslim property where the current administration has gone wrong.
It is my prayer, that at the end of Mufti Mubajje’s reign in 2025, he will leave a united Umma (Muslim community) where different sects tolerate one another and where administration is devolved to regions.
Haji Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi is a veteran journalist and a Deputy Resident City Commissioner for Masaka City.
Contact: 256-756/772-836537; Email:hajiahmedkatereggamusaazi2016@gmail.com
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