Dear Ugandans, Yes, Muslims, like any other minority should advocate for their rights. But Muslims are a strong minority in a land locked African country where even Christian majority are not homogeneous. Given a good strategy, they can even get more than they deserve. For example in 1986, Muslims had Al Haji Moses Kigongo as VIce Chairperson NRM/NRC, Ibrahim Mukiibi Foreign Minister, Abu Mayanja, Minister of Information. The trio addressed a rally of demonstrators at Constitutional Square. They were in support of President Museveni and NRM government against Kenya’s provocative aggression. Moi and KANU tried to organize a counter one in Nairobi, but it failed. But nobody raised a finger that three Muslim government officials monopolized addressing a rally of demonstrators. In addition, they had Bidandi Ssali in Labour, Kafumbe Mukasa as Deputy Minister for Finance, Moses Ali in Tourism and Wildlife, Amin Onzi as Deputy Minister for Works, Salim Bachou, he was either in Health or Planning, Akbar Adoko Nekyon was in Health from Uganda Airlines, Sulaman Kiggundu was Governor Bank of Uganda, Prof. Badru Kateregga, was Uganda’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Capt. Abbey Mukwaya was Special District Administrator Iganga, Kampala and later Luwero, etc…. In Okello’s government, there was almost Bidandi Ssali although Amin Onzi was a member of Military Council. That was where Olara Otunnu was the defacto President. Under Obote ll, there was one Muslim Minister ntege Lubwama but Oyite Ojok and Chris Rwakasisi plotted his death and he survived narrowly.UNLF under Godfrey Binaisa, there was only Ntege Lubwama and Bidandi Ssali.UNLF under Lule, there was none although Lule was a Muslim apostate. Amin’s first cabinet had one Muslim Minister, Abu Mayanja, who was in Education and later Labor, with no Muslim District Commissioner. But by 1975, there was Moses Ali in charge of Provincial Administration, Amin himself who was in charge of Defense, Juma Oris in charge of Information and Broadcasting and later Foreign Affairs, Kassim Ramadhan, Ali Fadhul etc. They were mostly Sudanese, Nubians and West Nilers. By the end, there was: Mustafa Adrisi, Vice President, Defense Minister and holding portfolio of Internal Affairs Minister since 1977 incident where Arch Bishop Luwum and Oboth Ofumbi and Erinayo Oryema were killed in an accident; Jumba Masagazi in Finance, Planning and Economic Development; Musa Garandi in Agriculture, Some Provincial Governors like Capt.Nasur Abdullah, and Hajji Kassim Ramadhan (No Parking) were Muslims. Abdullah Amin was Permanent Secretary Ministry of Information, Kakembo was Chief Education Officer and many Ambassadors and senior officers in government and army. In security, there was Yusuf Gowon, Army Chief of Staff, Faruq Minawa in SRB, Ali Towel in Public Safety Unit, Kassim Obura, Commissioner of Police etc…Over 90 percent were Sudanese, Nubians, and Muslims. Faruq Minawa was a Kenyan Nubian for example. Under Obote l, there was Adoko Nekyon who later fell out with his cousin brother and resigned from government; Shaban Nkutu from Busoga; Ali Barinda from Ankole who was a Deputy Minister. Amin combined as Chief of Defense Forces and Army Chief of Staff (which was very dangerous). Kabaka’s Government since 1955 up to 1966, had one Muslim Minister of Education, which was occupied three…, Abu Mayanja and Ntege Lubwama. The Catholic/Protestant rivalry helped most Muslims to ally with Protestants under Prince Badru Kakungulu, although a few under Sheikh Zaid Mugenyiasooka allied with Catholics. But the subaltern or down trodden Muslims supported the independence movement led by Ignatius Musaazi, and Obote inherited them. Their alliance was broked by Amin’s coup. Likewise, as a resulf of UNLF humiliating policy towards Muslims regardless where they were pro or anti Amin government, Muslim fully supported NRM/NRA struggle. They are most doing so but agitating that they don’t occupy a constitutional office. However at one time, Al Haji Moses Kigongo was the defacto Vice President and he presided over independence cerebration at Kololo in 1990 when the President was on a long trip in America and Europe, and Premier Samson Kisekka was in China on an official visit. He was the one who delivered a state of the nation address after Rwandese invasion in October 1990, etc..He was the defacto Speaker of Parliament. He is still 1st National Vice Chairperson NRM as Moses Ali is Regional for Northern, Basajjabalaba for Entrepreneurs etc…. However ever since 1996, Muslims have never occupied any constitutional office. But one time Al Hajji Abubaker Jeje Odong was Army Commander, and Med Kaggwa, State Minister for Political Affairs. Bumba is Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Janet Mukwaya, General Duties, Office of the Prime Minister, Lukiya Nakadama Sate for Gender and Culture, Lukiya Chekamondo, State for Privatization, Jeje Odong, State for Defense, etc… Personally, the prince Badru Kakungulu’s strategy of positive engagement with those in power is the best for Muslims, to get some constitutional, statutory and strategic positions in government, other than a confrontational approach like those in FDC do, or an armed struggle like ADF, LRA or PRA. In Uganda, we have seven constitutional offices: President, Vice President, Speaker, Chief Justice, Deputy Speaker, Deputy Chief Justice and Prime Minister. None of those offices is occupied by a Muslim or has ever been occupied by a Muslim since NRM came to power. Al Haji Moses Kigongo was a deputy speaker, and Moses Ali only stopped as First Deputy Premier. If that is what we can got, here Kivejinja is and where Abu mayanja was, it is a consolation. I can support ejection of Kivejinja if l am assured of another Muslim replacing him, or even being appoiinted to a real constitutional office. We cherish and support so much this system, but as it was in the past, even at Mmengo, we are branded uneducated, Amin’s men, terrorists, ADF etc…Yet Kony is a Catholic fundamentalist, Lakwena was a Christian, Peter Otai, William Omaria ,Amon Bazira , Duncan Kafeero etc..But only Jamil Mukulu, Juma Oris and Ali Bamuze leads to a general suspicion of a community. But we are recovering from it. The late Prof. Yusuf Lule was forced to abandon Islam and embrace Protestantism in order to get admitted at kings College Buddo. He was a Christian convert. l and you don’t attend cabinet meetings, NRM Historicals and others. But KK played a role in establishing IUIU. He is a Muslim revolutionary socialist oriented. He is not a tribalist . He is not sectarian. He may be a poor performer in one way or another, but l can not advocate that he is replaced by another unless l am assured that there will be another Muslim in cabinet. Cabinet is very important in Uganda and it has to be national in character, not in terms of regional and tribal representation, but also in other areas like religion. For Muslims, after Christians betrayed them and allied with “pagans” during the religious war, they condemned them all as infidels or pagans. So Muslims refer to their Christian brothers and sisters as kaffirs. While men could marry “kaffir’s” daughters, Muslim girls were not allowed to Christian men. Any that is how marriage is treated in Islam. But grading Catholics and Protestants among “pagans” was very bad. Later the Muslims changed position and paganism remained on only African Traditionalists. Even Catholics and Protestants call Traditionalists pagans. This is bad. At least they should be called Traditionalists. We have come a long way and we should not pretend that such problems never existed or some of them are not existing. According to Kirunda Kivejinja, by 1971, some Muslims have been appointed in government because of their active role in the independence struggle in UNC and later UPC. They also had NAAM as their pressure group. But when Amin took over, he did not represent the Muslim elites like Abu Mayanja and Jumba Masagazi. He represented the semi literate Muslims whom he appointed in government, army and parastatals. For yhey saw his coup as a blessing from God for they had been condemned to Hell by the colonial and neo colonial administrations. For any body who is interested in more details on that matter, can read Prof. Samwiri Karugire’s A Political History of Uganda and Badru and A. Kasozi’s Abaasiga Obusiraamu mu Uganda.Until the beginning of 20th century, Islam was the most popular foreign religion. So if the distribution was in accordance to numerical strength of the Kabaka’s subject, the Muslims would have taken the lion’s share. What is true that most upcountry folk were traditionalists. However since they had identified themselves with Mwanga, like the Baganda clan leaders, they were left out. Ahmed Katerega UAH forumist/Journalist MORE AT: ugandansatheart.org/2009/11/13/nrm-has-not-given-enough-political-cake-to-muslims/
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 10:34:00 +0000
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