Mufti Mubaje says UMSC property deals rescued council from financial crisis
By Skika Reporter.
Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) Mufti Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje has defended the council’s controversial property transactions, saying the sale and redevelopment of some assets helped restore financial stability and created sustainable sources of income for the Muslim community.
Mubaje said decisions taken by the UMSC Executive Committee to dispose of some underutilised properties were made in the best interest of the institution and have enabled the council to grow from a financially struggling organisation into a self-reliant body.
Speaking at the UMSC headquarters in Old Kampala, the Mufti said he inherited a council facing serious financial challenges when he assumed office in December 2000.
“When I assumed office, this place was a bush. The council had no bank accounts and staff had gone four years without salaries,” Mubaje said.
He explained that the council was forced to review its assets and identify properties that were not generating income. One of the properties considered was a ranch in Sembabule, which he said was sold after the Executive Committee determined it was not benefiting the institution financially.
According to Mubaje, the ranch was sold for Shs5 billion, with the proceeds invested in income-generating projects, including apartment blocks in Kansanga and Namasuba. Part of the funds was also used to support the development of the UMSC headquarters in Old Kampala.
The Mufti also defended the redevelopment of the council’s property on William Street, saying the arrangement was approved through the council’s structures under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.
Under the arrangement, he said, the property was developed through a partnership while ownership would eventually return to UMSC.
Mubaje acknowledged that the property transactions attracted criticism and legal challenges but insisted that all decisions were made through the appropriate governance channels.
He said he later engaged President Yoweri Museveni and the Attorney General to explain the transactions, adding that government was satisfied with the accountability of the deals.
The Mufti dismissed claims that UMSC assets had been mismanaged, arguing that critics had failed to recognise the developments achieved through the investments made over the past two decades.
“Some people accuse me of selling Muslim property, but they should also look at what those investments have produced,” he said.
Mubaje said the proceeds from the property decisions contributed to the establishment and expansion of several UMSC projects, including the Gaddafi National Mosque complex, commercial buildings, a hospital, a university, a television station, a radio station and vocational training centres.
He added that the council is now able to finance its monthly operations using income generated from its investments, reducing reliance on external support.
The Mufti maintained that the property decisions were not aimed at disposing of Muslim assets but were part of a long-term strategy to secure the financial future of UMSC and strengthen its ability to serve the Muslim community
