Uganda Muslim Supreme Council – North Eastern Muslim Region have partnered with Microfinance Support Centre Soroti Branch to train about 200 Muslim SACCO in the region.
This was disclosed by His Eminence Sheikh Obilan Abubakar Umar, the Regional Assistant Mufti (RAM) of Teso Karamoja region while addressing about 200 Muslim leaders; District Kadhi, district Management and executives, County Sheikhs Imaams (Mosque leaders), Amirats (women Representatives, and Youth Representatives of Kumi Muslim District Council (Bukedea, Kumi and Ngora local Government districts).
Sheikh Obilan started his pastoral tour from Amuria, Kapelebyong , Serere, Kaberamaido, Kalaki, Katakwi and Soroti. On Sunday 31/8/2025 he was in Kumi main Mosque addressing leaders on several issues concerning the development of the community.
He reminded leaders of their responsibilities at all levels and that they needed to double their efforts on property protection and improved service delivery.
He further informed that he was premising his leadership on three (3) key pillars; Community empowerment, resource mobilization and accountable leadership.
Accordingly, he pledged to train all office bearers effective in the month of October, 2025.
Shk. Obilan called on leaders to embrace unity of purpose and team work if they want to transform their communities.
“We can not transform our people if we still prefer working singly. We must learn from other communities in building teams an working together in groups such as SACCOs” Obilan emphasized.
He disclosed that he had agreed with Mr. Wambale Abubakar the Zonal manager of microfinance support centre Soroti to train SACCO Leaders to deeply understand how SACCOs operate since it appears a new undertaking among many Muslims.
He revealed that Mr. Wambale had informed him that billions of money are returned to the consolidated fund annually for failure of absorption in Teso sub-region and that in their records, they had never registered a Muslim SACCO benefitting from their Islamic banking products.
Sheikh Obilan also informed leaders that he at one time in April this year visited the ministry of Teso Affairs in Soroti and he was astounded to realize that over years, there was only one Muslim based group had ever benefitted from their funding.
“It was astounding to me that day, to hear that there are livelihood programmes, grants worth billions in that ministry but Muslim community had not benefited from them”
“We need to wake up as a community and actively participate in money economy, let’s get up from the island we live in. There is nothing for us without us”.
Shk. Obilan called on leaders to mobilize their followers to support and actively involve themselves in Government programmes such as Parish Development Programme (PDM), Emyooga etc because “H.E the Mufti of Uganda Shk. Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje cleared us on the issue of PDM.”
He further notified leaders that on top of the 2 billion shillings pledged by the President to support the Muslim Women SACCO,
His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has also pledged to support mosque Imams and Amirats by enabling them to establish Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) promising to provide an initial capital of UGX 30 billion in the coming (2025/2026 FY) financial year each district expected to receive receive UGX 100 million Shillings.
The announcement was delivered on the President’s behalf by Mr. Moses Byaruhanga, the Presidential Advisor on Poverty Alleviation, during his keynote address at the send-off ceremony for Ugandan pilgrims sponsored by the President to perform Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage to the Holy City of Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
This was announced on Friday, August 22, 2025, at the UMSC Headquarters Conference Hall in Old Kampala. “Therefore, you must register your SACCOs and begin saving and planning for them Not just waiting for the presidential pledges to be honoured” Obilan advised
The RAM later mobilized Muslim leaders to be very keen about the rehabilitation programme announced by the President to replace the cattle compensation arrangement that had staled.
“You should all be alert when called upon to participate at any stage of the consultation sessions championed by the Her Excellency the Vice President of Uganda Jessica Alupo Epel.
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