Uganda: Court Upholds Status Quo As Umsc Affirms Mufti Mubaje's Leadership

3 June 2025
The Independent (Kampala)

Kampala — The High Court in Kampala has issued an order maintaining the current leadership structure within the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), effectively preserving the authority of Dr. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje as the Mufti of Uganda.

The directive was made on Monday by Justice Bernard Namanya during a hearing of Miscellaneous Cause No. 065 of 2025.

The case was brought by four applicants -- Nsimbe Swaibu, Byansi Twayibu, Kalokora Musa, and Kasakya Musa -- against UMSC, Dr. Mubaje, Sheikh Muhamad Ali Waiswa, Sheikh Muhammad Bukenya, and 41 others.

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The applicants are seeking judicial review orders, including mandamus, declarations, and an injunction regarding recent developments within the UMSC.

In his ruling, Justice Namanya ordered that *"the parties shall maintain the status quo until determination of Miscellaneous Cause No. 65 of 2025."

Present in court were lawyers representing both parties, along with several of the applicants and respondents.

In a public statement issued shortly after the court session, UMSC Deputy Secretary General Haji Ali Muhammad Aluma clarified that the "status quo" refers to the condition of leadership and institutional operations at the time of filing the application.

At that time, Dr. Mubaje had already been duly selected, vetted, appointed, and approved by the UMSC's constitutional organs, and officially resumed office as Mufti on March 13, 2025.

"The Mufti of Uganda, His Eminence Dr. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, continues to serve in that capacity, executing his constitutional mandate," the statement reads. "All offices, programs, and activities of the UMSC remain fully operational."

Haji Aluma reaffirmed UMSC's commitment to legality and institutional stability. "We reassure the Muslim community and the general public that the UMSC is a law-abiding institution that upholds and respects court decisions," he said.

He urged Muslims across Uganda to remain calm, united, and focused as the legal process takes its course. The council also took the opportunity to wish all Muslims a blessed and peacefulid al-Adha celebration.

Read the original article on Independent (Kampala).

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