UMSC Issues Roadmap for Constitution Review Consultations

The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council has released a roadmap for consultations on the constitution review. The roadmap for Muslim districts in Uganda was released on Friday at the Uganda Media Center by the Constitution Review Commission.

Radhiyya Namakula, the commission’s publicity secretary said that the consultations shall be conducted from February 22 to March 23, in the nine Muslim regions of East and West Buganda, Busoga, Eastern, Northern, West Nile, Bunyoro-Toro, Ankole-Kigezi, and Kampala regions.

Namakula says that the team will consult area leaders from UMSC, Muslim professionals and professional bodies, Muslim women and youth leaders, and Tabliq and Salafiya leadership in the Muslim districts. Other categories are members of Muslim Non-government Organizations and civil society organizations, political and other relevant opinion leaders, other Muslim institutions, individual Muslim men and women desirous of presenting their views.

A member of the commission Kassim Kamugisha says the review process is rooted in the recommendation given by the Kabwegyere Commission of 2014 that the UMSC constitution is reviewed to address issues stimulating conflict among the Muslim community in Uganda.

Kamugisha says the general assembly of the Council decided to take on the recommendation so as to foster unity among the Muslim community by gathering ideas from the different groups of Muslims.

He explains that the views shall be considered by the general assembly and be used to adopt a new constitution to be used during the next election which is yet to be scheduled.

Kamugisha says the reviewed Constitution shall provide a platform for the unity of Muslims, prosperity, and development.

Kamugisha also says that there is a need to review the constitution to address gaps regarding the needs of some special groups in society like women, children, youths, and Persons with Disability. He says the current constitution promulgated in 1972 and amended once in 1986 doesn’t address the special needs of those groups yet the Quran, which is the Constitution of Islam recognizes and addresses the needs of all these different groups.

The Constitution Review Commission was inaugurated on January 17 at the council headquarters in Kampala and started its activities on 31st January and is expected to close by 8th April 2022.

The State Minister for National Guidance Godfrey Baluku Kabyanga asked the general public to support the Muslims through this process and asked the commission to always work with security including area Resident Commissioners in all areas they go to. URN