MBALE. His Eminence Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, the Mufti of Uganda, has officially closed the 2nd Annual Eastern Regional Imaams’ Retreat organised by the Office of the Eastern Muslim Regional Assistant to the Mufti. The three-day retreat was held at Nkoma Senior Secondary School in the heart of Mbale City from December 12th to 14th, 2025.
The retreat attracted over 3,000 Imaams drawn from the entire Eastern Region, comprising eleven Muslim districts. The closing function was attended by District Kadhis, County Sheikhs, district executives, Dr. Sheikh Abubakar Omar Obilan, the Regional Assistant to the Mufti in charge of North Eastern, Dr. Sarah Wasagali Kanabi, Dr. Rahma Kaggwa, among others.
Participants were trained and empowered by key facilitators in areas including new communication skills for the propagation of Islamic theology, management, roles and responsibilities of an ideal Imaam, boosting household income, and SACCO formation, among others.
Several speeches were delivered during the closing event. First to speak was Mr. Kawangunzi Abubakar, the Headteacher of Nkoma SSS, who, in his welcoming remarks, shared the background of the school and pledged to avail the school facilities for use in such community activities. On his part, Sheikh Isah Ahmad Masaba, the host Kadhi, shared the state of Muslim affairs in the district.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sheikh Ahmad Hamid Wadenga, the convenor of the retreat, gave the background of the programme, noting that it was designed to intensify and strengthen Islamic values within communities and to operationalise the UMSC newly amended constitution, which provides for the inclusivity of Muslim women and youth in the UMSC leadership structure. While quoting the famous Indian freedom fighter, Mahatma Gandhi, “that when you educate a man, you educate an individual and that when you educate a woman, you educate a nation,” he hailed the Mufti’s administration for ushering in a new dispensation that brought women into the management of community activities.
“So I urge you Imaams to work closely with Muslim women and the youth leaders,” Sheikh Wadenga appealed. He further emphasised that sensitisation sessions had been designed to enable Imaams acquire new skills and undergo mindset change towards developmental programmes aimed at generating household income so that they become self-reliant.
“There are several government poverty alleviation programmes being implemented in different parts of the country such as cocoa and coffee growing, and these have enriched many citizens. Unfortunately, most of the Imaams aren’t aware yet they are facing abject poverty. We wish that the Imaams benefit from such programmes,” he said.
The day was crowned by the Mufti’s speech, which was characterised by quotations from the Holy Qur’an and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
“You are all shepherds according to various capacities such as a man as head of a family, a wife entrusted to take care of a home and children, a servant responsible to take care of his principal’s work and property, and in the same way the Imaams are shepherds in the spiritual guiding of the faithful. So I implore each one of you to take care of your responsibilities as shepherds because on the Judgment Day, you stand to give account on how you handled your responsibilities,” he preached.
The Mufti reminisced about the time he returned from his Islamic theological studies in Saudi Arabia, recalling a period marked by widespread division and unprecedented hatred among Muslim faithful across the country, including the Eastern Region.
“There was so much infighting among Muslims based on minor theological interpretations of various Islamic teachings on Muslim men keeping beards and shortening of their trousers, marking the birth of Prophet Muhammad, chanting some prayers during burials, and many others. So we had to strategise ways that would curb such misunderstandings that were promoting minor issues instead of the broader picture which was based on the foundation that could cause unity among the believers,” he said.
He explained that similar programmes were introduced through Imaam seminars organised at the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) Mbale Campus, which yielded positive results. “It really worked wonders as it restored sanity and closed gaps that had existed among the Muslim elders and the youths, and as time went on, the hatred even died out,” he added. The Mufti commended his Eastern Regional Assistant, Dr. Sheikh Wadenga, for reviving such seminars.
Mufti Mubaje encouraged other Muslim regions to emulate the Eastern Region by organising similar seminars for mosque Imaams. He also implored participants to implement what they had learnt and to positively change their mindset towards self-sustaining programmes aimed at generating household income.
“Otherwise you will end up becoming easy prey to some errant rich individuals who will use your poor state to manipulate you for their selfish ends,”* he advised.
The Mufti urged Imaams to register for the ongoing SACCO awaiting presidential support and went on to launch five newly formed SACCOs for the Muslim districts of Kibuku, Sironko, Bududa, Butaleja, and Tororo. He concluded by urging Muslims to maintain peace and discipline during the forthcoming national elections early next year.