As I write this article, the number of Muslim leaders that have been arrested in connection to the fatal shooting of Major (Sheikh) Muhammad Kiggundu has reached eight.

Many of those arrested, including Yahaya Ramathan Mwanje, the Amiir of the Jamiat Da’awa Assalafiyya Muslim sect, are sheikhs who have done a tremendous job of teaching Islam in Uganda and around the region.

These eight join 14 others, led by the Amiir Ummah Sheikh Muhammad Yunus Kamoga, currently battling murder and terrorism charges at the International Crimes division of the High court. What is most heartbreaking is when a case involves Muslims, there has been total disregard of all laid down checks and balances.

Interestingly, the noisy politicians, the so-called human rights activists, other religious leaders and almost everybody are quiet as the regime continues to abuse Muslim leaders’ rights. Kamoga and his co-accused have spent almost two years in jail.

They were denied bail despite fulfilling almost all the conditions on which any judge can base to grant bail. Kamoga, 63, is a responsible family man with a permanent address. We have seen people arrested way after him, charged with similar if not more serious crimes, but released on bail in record time.

We all remember Aaron Baguma, the former Kampala Central police station DPC, who was charged with murder only to be released on bail after a few days in jail. 

Enter Sheikh Mwanje. Since he was arrested on November 27, 2016, he has not been produced in court to be charged formally. Matthew Kanyamunyu and his co-accused and the Omusinga wa Rwenzururu, Wesley Mumbere, were charged just days after their arrests.

I actually have an idea why there is this kusosola in Uganda. I have written before that I believe this government is not enthusiastic about Muslim affairs.

I actually dare say that President Museveni is an Islamaphobe. He seems to dislike Muslims, especially those of the Tabliq sect. To him, being a Tabliq is the same as being a terrorist. Remember his response to Kira municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda’s queries when the two appeared on Capital Gang early this year?

“Then to other issues, Museveni goes with a big convoy. Well, Uganda happens to be in [the middle] of a turbulent area. I don’t know whether Ssemujju has ever joined the Tabliqs, some people are trying to bring terrorism here,” he said.

Museveni was speaking days after the fatal shooting of Sheikh Mustapha Bahiga. Since Bahiga’s death, two more sheikhs have been gunned down, including Hassan Kirya, the former Kibuli faction spokesperson.

The killing of Kiggundu revived memories of the April 2012 killing of Sheikh Abdulkarim Ssentamu. Ssentamu, one of the most highly-educated Muslim clerics, was gunned down moments after attending Ishae prayers at Masjid Noor found along William street.

His death opened a series of killings that have seen many other sheikhs from across the country assassinated. Ssentamu’s killing came at a time when there was heightened tension between the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) headed by Mufti Shaban Ramathan Mubajje and the breakaway faction based at Kibuli headed by the then supreme mufti, Sheik Zubair Sowedi Kayongo (RIP).

This tension rotated around the election of members of the general assembly of UMSC. At Ssentamu’s funeral service held at Nakasero mosque, the seat of the Jamiat Da’awa Assalafiyya, speaker after speaker pointed a finger at those they had disagreement with.

Sheikh Ibrahim Hassan Kirya said they had information that their detractors had vowed to kill all those who disagreed with the elections. Bizarre as it may, all the speakers during that heated funeral service have either been assassinated, died under mysterious circumstances, have been shortlisted for assassination or are in court battling murder charges.

These include Kirya, Umar Swidiq Ndawula, Abdulhakim Ssekimpi (RIP) Zubairi Kayongo (RIP), Muhammad Kamoga, Kassim Kakungulu and Habib Kagimu.

Unfortunately, as Muslims, we have helped our adversaries to continue sowing seeds of discord among our community.

Why would we think that because we have disagreements with Mubajje, then it is his group that is responsible for the murder of Ssentamu? Why again should we think that anyone can kill anyone because of disagreements with Kibuli?

Disagreements among the Muslim community in Uganda are as old as the religion itself; but not once has a soul been lost due to these differences. Muslims must understand that their enemies are using this disunity to cause mayhem. Someone is taking advantage of this disunity to carry out religious exterminations.

Two weeks ago, I attended Juma prayers at the Makerere University mosque where the Imaam gave three hypotheses about those killing Muslim leaders.

He said that either the government has failed to undertake its responsibilities of protecting life and property; it knows who is killing Muslims leaders and wouldn’t do anything because it likes what is being done; or it is actually behind the killings. These are compelling arguments considering how the state has handled the cases.

Personally, I wouldn’t care about who is behind the killings. I squarely blame the government because it is to them that I pay taxes to, among others, protect me.

Instead of spending our resources on protecting us and our property, the regime is busy trying to contain political dissent; that’s why you will find 100 police officers at Dr Kizza Besigye’s home and none patrolling the city’s dark spots. It’s terrible and annoying!

bakerbatte@gmail.com

The writer is a journalist in Kampala.