By Sulaiman Kauki
The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has flagged off eight students who are among the 23 Ugandan learners selected to benefit from scholarships offered by the prestigious Al-Azhar Al-Sharif University in Cairo, Egypt.
The students were flagged off by the UMSC Education Secretary, Sheikh Juma Bakhit Cucu, who represented the Mufti of Uganda, His Eminence Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, at a ceremony held at the Main Library of the Islamic Call University College (ICUC) at the UMSC headquarters in Old Kampala on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
The students are seven males and one female: Kakungulu Abdu-Rashid, Mayanja Shurahu Dauda, Bukenya Uthuman, Kamoga Ukasha, Kavuma Ubaiba, Seruwu Ashiraf, Mbaziira Mubaraka, and Nagujja Zahara. They are all former students of Namasenene Islamic Centre in Masaka Muslim District, West Buganda Muslim Region.
Speaking at the event, Sheikh Cucu urged the students to remain focused on their studies, make good use of the opportunity, and acquire knowledge that will enable them to serve their communities upon completion of their education.
He also announced that the Al-Azhar scholarship programme has resumed after being suspended for several years.
“UMSC, as the mother body coordinating Muslim education in Uganda, continues to lobby for such opportunities. When scholarship opportunities arise, we mobilise eligible students to apply. Selection is based purely on merit by the respective higher institutions offering the scholarships, not favouritism,” Sheikh Cucu said.
He further encouraged Muslim students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to work hard academically in order to qualify for such opportunities, noting that the scholarship programme is largely intended as an affirmative action initiative to support deserving students.
Addressing parents, Sheikh Cucu advised them not to assume that the university would cater for all the students’ needs. Instead, he urged them to remain in close contact with their children throughout their studies in Cairo and continue offering them parental guidance and support.
Earlier, Sheikh Fahad Lubowa, the Director of Studies for Islamic Theology at Namasenene Islamic Centre, spoke on behalf of the delegation of parents and teachers. He commended UMSC for its continued efforts in securing educational opportunities for Muslim learners and expressed gratitude for the support that enabled the students to earn scholarships to study at Al-Azhar Al-Sharif University.