The mosque, which also houses Atiq Islamic Primary School, is a designated site for honouring Muslim martyrs. Witnesses say the group ordered mosque leaders, school teachers, and others within the premises to vacate, claiming they were acting on behalf of the UMSC.
Unidentified individuals armed with pangas, hammers, and sticks stormed the Namugongo Masjid Noor Shuhad Mosque in Wakiso District on Monday night, attempting to demolish its structures ahead of the planned Muslim Martyrs Day commemoration.
The attack, which occurred just hours before the scheduled commemoration, forced organisers to relocate the event to the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) headquarters in Old Kampala. The mosque, which also houses Atiq Islamic Primary School, is a designated site for honouring Muslim martyrs. Witnesses say the group ordered mosque leaders, school teachers, and others within the premises to vacate, claiming they were acting on behalf of the UMSC.
The attackers were swiftly interrupted by police from Kira Division, the army, and local leaders. Michael Ssendawula, the Namugongo area chairperson, described the attack as highly tense and said the group attempted to forcibly take control of the site.
"The situation remains tense, with the group still determined to demolish the entire structure and all properties within. I had to call in the Kira Division Police to intervene, as the officers at the Namugongo Police Post were overwhelmed, and without their assistance, the situation could have turned violent," Ssendawula said.
"The Namugongo Muslim community is determined to defend this site and proceed with the commemoration, while another group, claiming to be from Old Kampala, insists that pilgrimage should be limited to Mecca, not Namugongo," Ssendawula added.
Other witnesses described how the attackers arrived at the mosque as evening prayers were underway and suddenly began ordering people to leave, threatening to demolish the buildings.
//Cue in: “nga bagala kumenya …
Cue out: …nebatugamba nti.”//
One of the mosque's administrators, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the group initially posed as evening visitors before revealing their weapons.
//Cue in: “baze netubera wano …
Cue out: … naye embera tebamanyi.”//
Mustaf Ssetuba, a teacher at Atiq Islamic Primary School, blamed the attempted demolition on corruption within the top leadership of UMSC. "The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council has been receiving government funds to renovate the mosque and school structures, but allegedly they've been embezzling the money," Ssetuba claimed.
"Now, they're trying to cover up their corruption by demolishing the site before the President's visit. But we won't let them get away with it, it's not just about the pilgrimage claims." This reporter attempted to reach UMSC for comment, but calls to the communications office went unanswered.
However, a top UMSC official who spoke anonymously said he only saw the attackers on the news and that investigations were ongoing to identify them.
He blamed the chaos on some squatters occupying the mosque land, claiming they were opposed to a planned redevelopment project. He added that, "the site was gazetted as a national monument and nobody will stop the planned redevelopment."
Initially, the Namugongo Masjid Noor Shuhad Mosque was slated to host the 2024 Muslim Martyrs Day commemoration, with President Yoweri Museveni expected to attend. But according to area leaders and police at Kira Division, the event has now been officially shifted to Old Kampala until the current misunderstanding is resolved.
Kamali. M James
Freelancer