In 1975 President Amin Almost Declared Uganda A Muslim State Courtesy of Noor Mbogo’s Inspiration

In 1975 President Amin Almost Declared Uganda A Muslim State Courtesy of Noor Mbogo’s InspiratioN

Last week Ugandan Muslims celebrated the return of Sheik Noor Kyabasinga Mbogo from exile in Zanzibar.
Mbogo had been exiled to the islands of Zanzibar for two years before he returned to Uganda.

The Ugandan Muslims had therefore found time to celebrate his return form exile in Zanzibar many years ago. 

Born in 1835 to the then Kabaka Kalema Ssuuna II (1832 - 1856), Mbogo was a brother to Kabaka Muteesa I, who invited modern civilization to Buganda.

Mbogo was nine years old when Islam was first introduced at Kabaka Ssuuna II’s court, around 1844.
Most records indicate that Islam reached Uganda at the very latest in 1844, when Ahmed Ibn Ibrahim reached the then Kabaka’s palace.

However, Islam did not thrive much until the reign of Kabaka Muteesa I, who declared it a state religion in 1875.
The declaration came with directives of observance of the five daily prayers, fasting during the month of Ramadhan and construction of mosques by the Kabaka’s chiefs throughout the kingdom.

To ensure that the mosques were constructed in adherence of the Islamic principle, Muteesa appointed his brother Mbogo to oversee the project.

And Mbogo embarked on Islamizing Buganda kingdom. At that time from 1875, almost the entire Buganda was supposed to adhere to the principals of Islam.

Every homestead had to have things like a kettle for praying water, a mat and other related items. Homesteads that did not have such items were harshly reprimanded.  

At that time Buganda was involved in expansionist wars against tribes in the great lakes region.

It was also during the same time that Europeans started showing up in Buganda.

History shows that Kabaka Mutesa 1 is the one who wrote to the Europeans to bring civilization.

 But other versions of history assert that the Europeans simply gate crushed into Buganda teritory, but Mutesa simply opted to receive them without a fight.

The arrival of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) missionaries in Buganda in 1877 and the White Fathers in 1879 heralded a new era. Soon, Mutesa I’s belief in Islam was polluted and religious conflicts arose.

Soon Kabaka Mutesa passed away in 1888 and a period of uncertainty ensued in Buganda between the Catholics, protestants and Muslims on the other hand.

Eventually religious wars erupted. The Muslims fought bravely although they were finally defeated.

The Muslims under the leadership of Noor Mbogo managed to install their own king called king kalema.  

But Kalema was easily defeated and forced to flee to a place called Mende Kalema-where he was buried.

During this time around 1892, Noor Mbogo was chased from his Nakasero home which had been given to him by Lugard.

 And while fleeing Mbogo allegedly told his assistants to allow him rest on a mat around seven miles from Nakasero.

His lieutenants then lamented that ‘’olaba ne Mbogo yebaka ku kawempe’’

Kawempe is now one of the big villages that form Kampala and it derived its name from that incident with Noor Mbogo.   

He fled to a place called a kijungute.

But there are reports that when Capt. lugard came to Uganda, he convinced Mbogo to return from exile in kijungute.

He was then given land in kibuli which now houses the headquarters of the Muslims and his house at Nakasero.

But around the same time confusion ensued and Mbogo was AGAIN forced to flee to Zanzibar.

He had fled with over 100 Muslim colleagues but only 60 made it to Zanzibar alive!.
After two years he returned as still the undisputed leader of Muslims whom he found in a very sorry state. He once again reorganized them and became very instrumental in steering their affairs to becoming a strong and recognized group until his death in 1921.
 During his time he worked for both his religion and his culture. He was a pillar in the upbringing of Kabaka Daudi Chwa II who ascended the Buganda throne while still a minor.
 For what he did for Buganda, he was given the title of Grandfather of Buganda, a title enjoyed by his son, Prince Badru Kakungulu who immediately succeeded him and Kakungulu’s successor, Prince Kassim Nakibinge today. 
That's why he was commemorated last week.
ENTER AMIN
And all that time Muslims had no political leadership up to 1971 when Uganda’s army commander Gen Idi Amin overthrew president Obote to assume power in Uganda.
At first Amin was very careful about mixing politics with religion.
But being a Muslim himself and with big following of Muslim leaders around the world like Libya’s Col Muamar Ghadafi , Amin started to shift towards Islamizing the country.
He abolished all the minor religions and openly allowed three major religions of Islam, Catholics, and Protestants.
Friday was declared a public holiday.
According to Prof Mamdani, president Amin made a deliberate policy to recruit Muslims in the army and all sectors of government.
It’s widely believed that Gen Amin wanted to declare Islam a state religion in 1975, which was exactly a hundred years since Islam had been declared a state religion in Buganda in 1875.
Amin was a very big follower of Noor Mbogo who had fought wars to defend Islam. Noor’s name Mbogo means buffalo and is derived from his instructions for Muslims to fight like buffaloes
Amin was hugely influenced into pushing for Noor Mbogo’s mission of Islamising Uganda.
 President Amin reportedly consulted senior Muslims leaders like Badru Kakungulu, a relative of Noor Mbogo, Sheik Ali Kulumba, Amin’s brother called Ramathan, and a host of other senior Muslim soldiers like Col Juma Oris , Gen Moses Ali and others.

But it’s said that Amin delayed to make the decision because he was jittery about the reaction it would cause in the east African region which is predominantly Christian.

In that year, 1975, he had been elected chairman of the OAU by countries that were mostly Christian. He had created enough enemies already and never wanted to antagonize his lose neighbors like Zairian president Mobutu and Kenyan president Jomo Kenyatta who were both staunch Christians.
He was also discouraged by the mere fact that his fellow Muslims leaders like Sudan’s president Jaffer Niimery were not as friendly to him as the non Muslim leaders.
He reportedly decided to differ the decision to a future date.   
It’s widely projected that if Amin had reigned for another ten years, Uganda would have been declared a Muslim state.

The author Fred Daka Kamwada is a researcher, journalist and blogger
Contact him on kamwadafred@gmail.com