Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has warned Kawempe North MP Latif Ssebaggala who has expressed interest in his seat to go slow, noting that he is entrenched and unshakable. Lukwago’s remarks were prompted by Ssebaggala who introduced himself as the next Kampala Lord Mayor during the celebrations to mark 124 years since the return of Prince Nuhu Kyabasinga Mbogo from exile in Zanzibar.
The event took place at Prince Kassim Nakibinge’s residence in Kibuli, Kampala on Sunday. Born in 1835, Mbogo was exiled to Zanzibar in 1893 by Capt. Frederick Lugard, the representative of the Imperial British East African Company (IBEACO) before declaring Uganda a British Protectorate.
Mbogo returned from exile in June 1895. Lukwago said he is not going anywhere and many people have attempted to uproot him but in vain. “I hear people claiming that they are the next Lord Mayor. I want to inform you that I am not going anywhere.
Nze ndi kakonge ka ku kubo anekonako yaagwa (I am unshakable and entrenched),” Lukwago said causing laughter from thousands of Muslims who graced the occasion. The once good friends did not greet each other and sat apart unlike in the past. In 2016, the duo was part of the Democratic Party splinter pressure group known as ‘Truth and Justice’.
Nakibinge, the titular leader of the Muslim community in the country, lauded the finance ministry and the Bank of Uganda for standing firm on the operationalization of Islamic banking in the country despite opposition from some circles.
“I know that the Bank of Uganda is currently under the spotlight particularly in media but I want to thank them for standing firm on the introduction of the Islamic banking system. I beg you to stop writing badly about them,” Nakibinge said.
Nakibinge, a grandson to Mbogo, decried the increased cases of murder in the country and implored the security organs to put lots of emphasis on intelligence. “We strongly condemn the increased cases of murder in our country but we want the perpetrators to be apprehended and face the law,” Nakibinge said. “I commend security organs for the work done so far but I implore you to put more effort into intelligence than spending time hunting for the assailants.”
Supreme Mufti Sheikh Silliman Kasule Ndirangwa called for joint efforts between the security and people in combating crime in the country. “We are all living in fear and there is a need for a joint effort to combat the vice because without peace we cannot develop,” Ndirangwa said.
Nakibinge explained that the major aim of celebrating Mbogo’s return from Zanzibar is to inspire the young generation to emulate his endeavors. Dr. Abdul Hafiz Walusimbi described Mbogo as a man worth celebrating due to his sacrifices made towards the propagation of Islam in the country. “Mbogo and his people deserve respect from all Muslims in the country because they embraced and practiced Islam under tough conditions.
Sheikh Nuhu Muzaata, the Kibuli Muslim spokesperson called for the inclusion of women in the management of Muslim affairs, noting that it is now inevitable. “We sometimes isolate women but it is time for us to realize that we need them and we cannot ignore them anymore,” Muzaata said.