Dr. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, the Mufti of Uganda, has banned Muslim leaders from engaging in political campaigns during mosque activities and burials ahead of the 2026 national elections. Addressing congregants during memorial prayers for the late Haj Edris Wetaka at Tawfiq Mosque, Kisenyi Cell, Buyonjo Road, Mbale City Northern Division, on Saturday, May 10, 2025, Mufti Mubaje announced that the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) would soon issue a circular instructing Muslim leaders under the UMSC structure to refrain from using Muslim events to campaign for particular candidates.
He warned Kadhis, Sheikhs, and UMSC committee chairpersons against acting as agents for political parties or aspirants. “All Muslim leaders within our structures, including the Mufti, his deputies, the national chairperson, right down to imams, are barred from using the pulpit to campaign for particular candidates,” he said. “The UMSC Constitution requires our leaders to remain nonpartisan. Direct involvement in campaigns will breed conflict and divide the Muslim faithful,” he said. Mufti Mubaje further stated that any Muslim cleric intending to contest a political position must resign before the election period begins.
He encouraged Muslim elites to seek political leadership through the appropriate channels like any other citizens, but without compromising their Islamic leadership responsibilities. The Mufti’s remarks followed a complaint by Dr. Sarah Wasagali Kanaabi, Chairperson of the Uganda Electricity Regulatory Authority and aspirant for the Mbale City Parliamentary seat, who said some Sheikhs were using Friday sermons and Islamic functions to campaign against her on behalf of political rivals.
Paying tribute to the late Haj Edris Wetaka, Mufti Mubaje described him as a pious and dedicated Muslim who championed Islamic development in the Bugisu sub-region. He praised Haj Wetaka for lobbying for the construction of a mosque on land he donated and for his tradition of hosting national Muslim leaders during their working visits. “He was like a father to me, as he was a close colleague of my late father, Haj Ramadhan Mubaje, and other Muslim leaders in the area. I urge his children to safeguard his legacy and call on all Muslims to emulate his example,” Mufti Mubaje said.
He also urged Haj Wetaka’s family to collaborate with the Bugisu Muslim leadership to ensure that the mosque’s documentation and registration comply with UMSC policies. Before the Mufti’s address, Abdu-Razaq Arinda, the UMSC Deputy Secretary General in charge of planning and development, assured Muslims that UMSC is stable despite the ongoing court battles with a few individuals opposed to the Mufti’s term extension.
“I want to assure you that UMSC is stable and our work is going as planned. We are very confident that we shall emerge victorious in the court cases, but the petitions lack merit,” he said. He explained that UMSC has made a lot of strides in terms of development under the able leadership of Sheikh Mubaje. “It is because of the Mufti’s good leadership that Islam has gained ground in Western Uganda, where I come from. His good policies have attracted many of us to come and serve Islam,” he said.
His Eminence Sheikh Isa Masaba, the Host Kadhi of Bugisu, and Dr. Ahmad Hamid Wandega, the Eastern Regional Assistant to the Mufti, also spoke about Haj Wetaka’s contributions to Islam. The event drew several dignitaries, including UMSC General Assembly representatives, Executive Committee members, Kadhis from neighboring Muslim districts, and members of the National Management.