The Chairperson of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), Dr. Mohammed Lubega has opened up on the hullabaloo surrounding the looming auction of several prime properties belonging to the Muslim community in Uganda.
In a statement, Dr. Lubega indicated that a group of Muslim mafias sold off the said properties behind the leadership of Sheikh Shaban Mubajje, hence creating a crisis.
The key among the properties facing auction is the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council’s (UMSC) headquarters building in Old Kampala, which also houses the iconic Gadaffi National Mosque.
Land on which the building sits also has a Muslim hospital, Bilal radio, Islamic Call University and a business complex.
Dr. Lubega lamented the impendinv sale of the National Mosque.
“Our plea or request is that the process of Justice should be left to take its course to its logical conclusion. It is unfair and an injustice for Court to order the sale of the National Mosque,” he said in statement.
Several pieces of real estate are similarly up for auction.
Included are Plot 30 William Street in Kampala (Masjid Noor and shops), leasehold land 2771 Folio 2, Plot 5463 in Kyadondo, land at Kyanja, and a one square mile tract of land in Bukwe, Hoima. Also due for enforced sale is a one acre piece of land on Lubas Road in Jinja City; land in Mbale City; shares in Uganda Ranchers Ltd and Commercial Holdings Ltd, subsidiaries of the UMSC under which two square miles of land is owned in Migyera-Buluri and land in Entebbe opposite Victoria Mall.
The auction follows a warrant of attachment and sale of immovable property order issued by the Commercial Division of the High Court on November 16.
The order permitted Louiza Auctioneers to attach the properties should UMSC fail to settle a Shs19 billion debt by December 21.
UMSC spokesperson, Mr Ashiraf Zziwa Muvawala, this week asked Muslims to stay calm, saying the council has appealed the order for auction.
“UMSC is not that poor that we can lose our property because of that money. We are going to do our best to ensure that the Muslim properties are secured,” he said.
