KAMPALA, Uganda: Uganda’s embattled Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Ramadan Mubajje, has taken the extraordinary step of publicly chastising President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, accusing the Head of State of “hobnobbing” with businessman Hajj Hassan Basajjalaba.
The Mufti’s fury is rooted in the ongoing contest for the chairmanship of the ruling National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) Entrepreneurs League. Basajjalaba, the current office holder, is seeking re-election but faces stiff challenge from rival businessman and academic King Caesar Mulenga, proprietor of King Caesar University.
Mubajje claims the President has shown undue bias toward Basajjalaba, a longtime ally-turned-foe of the Mufti. Yet critics have been quick to point out that Basajjalaba remains legally eligible to run for political office, with no court order barring him from contesting.
Old Friends, Bitter Enemies
Ironically, Mubajje himself once relied on Basajjalaba’s political and financial muscle to consolidate his own grip on the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC). The two were so close that the Mufti reportedly leased UMSC properties to the businessman, before later turning around to accuse him of “grabbing” the same.
Their falling out has since devolved into public recriminations, with observers questioning whether the Mufti’s current moral stance is driven more by personal vendetta than genuine principle.
Museveni in the Crossfire
But President Museveni, the founder and national chairman of the NRM, is said to have intervened in the past to protect the Gaddafi National Mosque from being lost in controversial transactions linked to Mubajje. The irony, critics note, is that the Mufti, who once sought to pledge parts of the iconic mosque for financial gain, now faults the President for associating with Basajjalaba. “Imagine, the very man who rescued Gaddafi Mosque from Mubajje’s dealings is the one being accused of siding with Basajjalaba,” remarked one senior cleric.
Baggage of Scandals
Both Mubajje and Basajjalaba have at various times been in the dock over fraud-related charges. While Basajjalaba was acquitted, Mubajje narrowly escaped prison after being cautioned and rebuked for abuse of office. More recently, the Mufti courted controversy with his “third kisanja” project, swearing himself in for an additional term as head of the UMSC despite a court order blocking the move. The defiance has been described by critics as a blatant show of impunity and contempt of court by a religious leader.
Moral Authority Questioned
For many, Mubajje’s latest admonition of both President Museveni and Hajj Basajjalaba is symbolic of a cleric grappling with diminished moral authority. “It is like pointing out the straw in another person’s eye while ignoring the log in one’s own,” one political commentator noted. As the NRM Entrepreneurs League contest heats up, the Mufti’s intervention has injected both drama and irony into the race, reviving questions about personal integrity, political alliances, and the uneasy marriage between religion, business, and politics in Uganda.
Author Profile
- Mr. Stephen Kasozi Muwambi is a seasoned crime investigative writer, majoring in judicial-based stories. His two decades’ experience as a senior investigative journalist has made him one of the best to reckon on in Uganda. He can also be reached via [email protected]
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