By Ahmed Katerega Musaazi
MASAKA-UGANDA/NEWSDAY: Last week has been significant in Masaka city and district and Greater Masaka or South Buganda at large.
Despite bad news of the death of Maama Leokadia Namazzi, the mother of Bishop Severis Jjumba, who was buried on Saturday at her matrimonial home at Bulango in Masaka, there have been good news including the long awaited induction workshop for Masaka City Councilors and Masaka Divisional Councilors that started on Monday and ended on Saturday. It was organized, funded and facilitated by the Ministry of Local Government.
From Monday to Wednesday, it was at Maria Floor Hotel for Masaka City Councilors led by the Mayor Florence Namayanja and heads of department. Then from Thursday to Saturday, it was for divisional councilors and divisional heads of department.
On Saturday, l also attended a duwa held at the home of Sheikh Swaibu Ndugga, District Qadhi (Kibuli faction) of Greater Masaka. Although it was organized by the Kibuli faction, all factions including Old Kampala and even the Tabligh Salafs were present. Masaka Diocese under
Roman Catholic Church and West Buganda Diocese under Church of Uganda were equally represented.
Speaker after speaker, each called for reconciliation and unity among Muslims and among Ugandans. On my part l said when Mahdi Senkabirwa called Kibuli a sect, Rev. Amos Kasibante wondered whether Kibuli was a sect. In actual fact it is not because it is not
ideological.
In modern times, there are almost only two Muslim sects; Sunni and Shia. Yes in Uganda we had Africa Muslim Community Juma Sect Bukoto Nateete who pioneered not praying Dhuhuri prayer on Fridays, Uganda Muslim Community Juma and Zukuri Sect Kawempe who used to pray bot prayers on Fridays, New Juma or Jamat Al Isam Kibuli who followed Bukoto in not praying Dhururi on Friday, Tablighs or Salafs who don’t cerebrate birth of Prophet Muhammad (Mawuled) and holding last funeral rites, the main stream Muslims are either pro Old Kampala and PRO Kibuli, who cerebrate Mauled and hold last funeral rites and their division is not ideological. They are therefore not sects but factions.
The best they can do is to minimize their artificial differences and go for the common good as Muslims and Ugandans so that they can speak with one voice in relationship with their Christian brothers, and demand their share from the national cake. I am very happy that the Inter Religious Council of Uganda that started under the guidance of NRM Government , has made an impact in Greater Masaka.
I also said that since July when l became Deputy Resident City Commissioner, Masaka City Muslims have been peaceful so are other Ugandans despite panga men that disturbed us by cutting people , and l called upon them to remain peaceful and law abiding so that they can benefit from government programs including Emyoga and the parish model.
However, no sooner had l sat, than one of the masters of ceremony told me to inform the President that they were waiting for the implementation of Kabwegyere Report. I had earlier said that according to Sheikh Abdul Qadir Mbogo, the late Idi Amin forced all Muslims to be members of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council as leaders were not walking the talk.
l also quoted the late Sheikh Zubairi Bakari who told me that the Muslim supreme councils in East Africa was a Saudi funded petrol dollar project and Amin knew about it even at the launch of National Association for the Advancement of Muslims (NAAM) and his country could not miss the petrol dollars.
I said that while Amin could do it that way, President Museveni, under the rule of law, cannot do it like that, as some will go to court seeking political injunction, even if there is a political will.
So it is my prayer that artificial factions and not ideological sects like Old Kampala and Kibuli die away and we forge ahead as Muslims and Ugandans.
Haji Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi is a veteran journalist and Deputy City
Resident Commissioner, Masaka City.
Contact:256-756/772-836537
Email:hajiahmedkateregga2016@gmail.com
Do you want to share a story, comment or opinion regarding this story or others, Email us at newsdayuganda@gmail.com Tel/WhatsApp........0726054858
Discussion about this post