His Eminence Dr. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, the Mufti of Uganda, has recounted a personal life-threatening experience he survived during Uganda’s turbulent political past, urging Ugandans—especially the youth—to reject violence and safeguard peace.
The Mufti shared the testimony on Tuesday evening, January 6, 2026, while closing a two-day orientation meeting for Regional Assistants and District Kadhis at the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) headquarters.
Addressing the well-attended meeting, Mufti Mubaje said his reflections were deliberately shared to remind religious leaders of their responsibility to speak out against violence and political unrest, particularly during election periods.
The Mufti recalled that although he was still young, he witnessed Uganda attain Independence in 1962. He later experienced the political upheavals of 1966 while he was a pupil at a primary school in Bugerere.
He said the situation worsened during the 1971 regime change, when a violent mob attacked one of his teachers, the late Sheikh Mahmood Lutaya, who was accused of being a diehard supporter of the deposed UPC government of the late President Apollo Milton Obote.
“They burnt down his house where his valuable things, including piles of religious books and the Holy Qur’an, were destroyed. Though Sheikh Lutaya narrowly escaped, he later died of a heart attack,” Mufti Mubaje narrated.
The Mufti also recalled how he narrowly escaped death during crossfire in the 1979 liberation war while he was a student at Bugembe Islamic Institute.
“Truly, I have never supplicated any similar prayers to God like those we offered during that time,” the Mufti testified.
He further recounted his experience during the 1986 war that ushered in the current NRM government, noting that he was then a teacher and social worker, taking care of forty orphans.
“We fled for safety in remote areas. Unfortunately, my brother in law—the father of Gen. Saad Katemba—did not survive,” he said, as participants listened in silence.
The Mufti cautioned Ugandans, particularly young people, against using the election period to plunge the country back into destructive conflicts. He also warned the Muslim faithful not to be misled into senseless conflicts in the name of defending Islamic interests, noting that some of these conflicts in Muslim countries are falsely portrayed through certain media channels.
Earlier, Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma, the former African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) Commander delivered a presentation that he said focused on three vital aspects that shape a nation: God, the Creator of life, land, and natural resources; the people’s government, which provides leadership, stability, infrastructure, and services such as education and health; and fellow human beings, who must agree to live and work together to transform society.
He urged the participants to return to their communities and sensitize their followers on the importance of peace and stability, noting that sustainable development and transformation can only be achieved in a peaceful environment.
The Mufti also expressed gratitude to senior officers of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), including Brig. Gen. Abdurahman Rugumayo and Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma, for facilitating and participating in the meeting.
Also present were His Eminence Dr. Sheikh Hafiz Muhammad Harunah Bukenya, the 2nd Deputy Mufti the UMSC Secretary General, Hon. Hadji Abbas Muluubya Ssekyanzi, his two deputies, and other UMSC departmental heads.
