UMSC Clarifies on Nsimbe Memorial Mosque Land Recovery
The Office of the Hon. Secretary General of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has provided additional facts regarding the Entebbe Mosque Land. According to the statement issued this morning, Counsel Haj Muhammad Ali Aluma, the UMSC Secretary General, affirms that it was indeed the UMSC’s intervention, facilitated by his office, that led to the convening of the security meeting regarding the disputed mosque land. He explains that the primary objective of the high level security meeting convened by the Wakiso Resident District Commissioner, Justine Mbabazi was to establish measures ensuring the safety and custody of the Nsimbe Memorial Mosque land in line with the will of the late Haj Bulaimu Nsimbe (Salopassi), the donor of the Mosque land at Abayitaabiri on Entebbe express highway.
According to counsel Aluma, prior to this intervention, the situation was highly tense. Mwanje Ibrahim, the son and heir of the late Nsimbe, had made false claims of ownership of the Mosque land, which misled a section of the security forces. This resulted in arbitrary arrests of Muslim worshipers who were falsely accused of trespassing. Furthermore, the statement revealed that although Mwanje had already initiated legal proceedings in the Courts of Law, he resorted to unlawful methods, including the illegal sale of Mosque land.
This was done in anticipation of a judgment that would favor his claims, even if it meant uprooting Muslim community and taking possession of the Mosque land. The statement expressed gratitude to Ms. Justine Mbabazi, the Wakiso Resident District Commissioner (RDC), and other security heads who took the concerns raised by the UMSC seriously. “They played a pivotal role in de-escalating the situation, which had deteriorated into violence,” read the statement.
The statement also commended them for their proactive actions during the security meeting convened on Monday. After hearing from area elders, including Mwanje’s siblings, it was determined that Nsimbe Memorial Mosque Land rightfully belonged to the UMSC, in accordance with the late donor’s will.