Old Kampala – The African Council of Religious Leaders – Religions for Peace (ACRL-RfP), at its 5th General Assembly held recently in Nairobi, Kenya, re-appointed His Eminence Dr. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, the Mufti of Uganda, as Co-Chair for another five-year term.
This development was revealed by Mufti Mubaje while chairing the weekly UMSC National Management Committee meeting on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at the UMSC headquarters.
The Mufti informed departmental heads that the Assembly convenes once every five years. He disclosed that he had long requested the African Religious Body to allow him to retire from the position, which he has held for the past 25 years, having been elected alongside His Grace Cardinal Dr. John Onayeikan, the former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria.
“The Assembly unanimously turned down my request, reasoning that being a senior member, they still needed my presence to steer the Body’s programs alongside the Most Reverend Albert Chama, the Anglican Archbishop of Zambia, who was recently appointed,” Mufti Mubaje remarked. “Additionally, our Secretary General was recently elevated as the Secretary General of the World Council of Religions for Peace International, and he is set to commence his official tenure in January 2026 at the World Body’s headquarters in New York, USA. It was therefore realized that if senior officials moved out all at once during this transitional period, it could create gaps in the administration.”
The Mufti also shared with members two key documents released during the Assembly. The first was the Nairobi Declaration on Shared Sacred Flourishing for Peace and Justice in Africa, a three-page document that reaffirmed members’ shared responsibility to heal the African continent and safeguard common humanity. It emphasized the commitment to concrete action, guided by the conviction that peace, justice, and human flourishing are sacred imperatives that shape policies, partnerships, and daily witness. The Declaration also called for urgent engagement with stakeholders to help stop ongoing conflicts in war-torn countries, including Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The second was A Transformational Vision for Development and Peace Strategic Plan 2025–2030, a roadmap outlining the Council’s strategic direction across peacebuilding, democratic governance, environmental resilience, and the protection of human dignity.
Also present at the UMSC meeting were His Eminence Sheikh Muhammad Ali Wasswa, the Deputy Mufti, and Hon. Haji Abbas Muluubya Ssekyanzi, the UMSC Secretary General.
