Ugandan Muslims, split by an internal power struggle, yesterday found a reason to unite in prayer for the soul of Col. Muammar Gaddafi who met his death at the hands of youthful rebel forces in his home town of Sirte in Libya.
Anger and tears characterised the special prayers held at the Gaddafi Mosque in Old Kampala. Speaker after speaker praised the fallen Libyan leader who helped fund several projects in the country including the Gaddafi Mosque built at Shs50b.
Several speakers attacked the West and accused them of targeting Libyan oil and killing Gaddafi in the process. The Muslims also accused NATO of using divide- and -rule tactics to exterminate Gaddafi and his loyalists.
Sheikh Abdulkadir Mbogo, who led the Friday summon which was dedicated to Gaddafi's contribution to the Muslim community in Uganda, said, "he was killed because of jealousy".
He warned Muslims against judging Gaddafi and reminded them that every soul will eventually come face to face with the angel of death.
"Gaddafi has died a hero, because he has done a lot for the Muslim community and the country," he told the congregation that sat still, many shedding tears.
Gadaffi Mosque, one of the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa with a capacity of about 30,000, was filled to capacity.
Ousted Libyan leader was killed Thursday by National Transitional Council (NTC) forces in their final assault on the last pocket of resistance in his hometown Sirte.
NTC fighters who had fought in the bloody seven-month conflict that toppled the veteran despot at the cost of more than 25,000 lives, erupted in jubilation at the news, which followed earlier reports that Gaddafi had been captured.
As photographs and mobile video footage of Gaddafi's blood-stained body continued to circulate across the globe, the bare reality facing Libyans could only be imagined with the awareness of the challenges that his 42-year rule now brings to his countrymen.
The NTC has less than one month to establish a transitional government and another year thereafter, organise elections, but even before that, Libyans must return to their normal lives.
Sheikh Amir Mutyaba, the former Ambassador to Libya in the late Iddi Amin's government, gave an emotional account of Gaddafi's life and his relationship with Uganda since 1975.
He broke down as he narrated how he met Gaddafi at the age of 23 as an ambassador. Sheikh Mutyaba said Gaddaffi had a dream to unite Africa and had offered him $30 million to open up a Bank in Europe but the money was confiscated by Americans.
"But he has died as a hero and Allah will bless him for his kind heart and the oil diggers will be punished."
Deputy Mufti Sheikh Abdul Hayyi Mukiibi praised Gaddafi for constructing the Gaddafi main Mosque, Voice of Africa Radio, Muslim schools and the Muslin Call Society, an organisation supporting Muslim programmes in the country.
At Kibuli Mosque, supreme Mufti Zubair Kayongo and Sheikh Obed Kamulegeya asked Muslims to pray for peace in Libya.
"The Muslim community and the country at large have lost a brother and great leader ... But we call for reconciliation and peace to return to Libya," Sheikh Kayongo said.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who announced that he was going to Mecca for Hijjah, said: "Gaddafi's death should be a lesson to other leaders. The leaders should know when to leave power."
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This must be a lesson learn to all puppet african leaders who think that their friends "the evil and jealous external friends" are truely their friends. As a proverb says; there's nothing like home, and home is home. When are these puppet african leaders really going to learn?? When??
Well, genius, why don't you work to create a society where politicians are voted in, and can then be voted out if they do not please you? You continually wring your hands and boo and holla about these puppet leaders, most of who are simply dictators and criminals. If you actually had some choice in who was leader, you wouldn't have to fret and fuss as you hopefully wait for them to switch from "despotic dictator" to "benevolent dictator". For you, it's always "the leaders, the leaders" as if you can't do a damn thing for your own society unless the big oga says it's okay first. Take some responsibility, try to help create and perpetuate a civil democratic society and you wouldn't have to spend the rest of your life sitting on your butt, twiddling your thumbs and waiting for Jesus to come back as President.
While Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's life was full of puzzlement, the Colonel was nonetheless a Superb African leader and a champion in the fight for the freedom of nations to be. The Colonel fought a heroic fight and finished his course. The Colonel rests.
A Tribute to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi - http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/9054131/tribute_to_colonel_muammar _gaddafi.html
BRAVO ulafrique aka L'Afrique to your comment. Racists like Booster knows nothing but to lie to the masses, and that's why their society is now in shamble while others are building up their capacity for the ultimate day. And, if that day comes; these racists will seriously suffer.
Col. Muammar Gaddafi did not invest adequately in the military fighting equipment, which led to his defeat by NATO. Even though he had a lot of money, he had not invested in equipment like the surface-to-air missiles. He would have used this to bomb at least some NATO planes. This contributed to his downfall, though he (Gaddafi) exhibited bravery because he died on the battlefield.
Gaddafis ouster was made possible by the NATO airstrikes that decimated his war machinery. It was NATO fighter jets that hit the over 70-vehicle convoy in which Gaddafi was travelling, blocking his escape from Sirte, and which subsequently made it possible for NTC rebels to attack survival of NATO airstrikes. The death of the Libyan Great leader was a very unfortunate development for the African continent. It is unfortunate that Col. Gaddafi died in the circumstances he did. We condemn the manner in which he died, we the people of Africa condemn foreign interference in our continent, but Africans have a number of lessons to learn from the way in which Gaddafi died. The great Libyan leader was a courageous man who died in battle.
African leaders must protect African resources by investing heavily in military equipment, while providing better services for the people, saying the western powers were not interested in a developed Africa. The way the West is treating Africa is not right and I want to tell anyone thinking that Africa will develop using money from the West to forget it. The death of the Great Libyan leader brings the continent together to reflect on what the future of the continent should be.
We the people of Africa thank God for Gaddafis contributions and in the spirit of Pan-Africanism. The West should be concerned because Africa is quiet while they (western powers) are celebrating the death of the Great Libyan leader and let the West take note of this. The Great Libyan leader was summarily executed by the unruly and ruthless NTC rebel fighters in collaboration of the West who captured him from the road culvert in which he was hiding.