Sheikh Siliman Kasule Ndirangwa was laid to rest in Lwengo yesterday amidst grumbling from some of his relatives and friends about how he had been treated by the Kibuli Muslim faction which he served as Supreme Mufti.
Hundreds of mourners who showed up to bid him farewell were left wondering why Kibuli did not offer official condolences, why there were neither official prayers for Ndirangwa in Kampala nor ceremonial honours from the Kibuli Mosque he once led.
Bbeg Media’s attempts to talk to Kibuli were futile. Initially the Kibuli faction spokesperson Dr Muhammad Kiggundu, had indicated that he would talk to us. Later after we introduced the subject of our talk, he declined to pick our calls.
The silence from Kibuli about Ndirangwa’s death spoke louder than any eulogy. It was rooted in a rift that had simmered for years between Ndirangwa and Prince Kassim Nakibinge, the titular head of Uganda’s Muslims.
Ndirangwa’s association with Kibuli and Prince Nakibinge can be traced to 1992 when he was appointed the Imam of Kibuli mosque. In 2015, he was deemed suitbale to succeeded Sheikh Zubair Kayongo as Supreme Mufti.
By this time, he had developed ideological and administrative differences with the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council’s (UMSC) Old Kampala faction.
Yet it was within Kibuli that the seeds of discord were sown, culminating in his resignation in April 2021.
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Ndirangwa’s departure was not quiet. Citing internal disagreements, he stepped down, leaving a fractured community.
At the heart of the conflict was Prince Nakibinge, a revered figure whose influence over Kibuli was unmatched. Sources whispered of personal and ideological clashes between the two men, although specifics remained guarded.
There were reports that Nakibinge had opposed President Museveni’s donation of cars for the Qhadhis allied to Kibuli yet Ndirangwa had welcomed the move. Unable to agree, Ndirangwa had to leave.
Whatever the case, Ndirangwa’s decision to retreat from public life after resigning only deepened the divide. In his last years, Ndirangwa had decided to focus on community matters away from Kibuli’s spotlight.
The burial in Lwengo was a sombre affair. Mourners, including Haji Moses Kigongo, the second national vicechairman for the NRM praised Ndirangwa’s humility, noting that “Islam is greater than any title.”
Yet, some speakers could not ignore the absence of Kibuli’s official presence or the fact that Ndirangwa had not been offered official prayers.
One mourner, his voice heavy with disappointment, remarked: “A man who served as Supreme Mufti deserved more from the institution he built.”
No official prayers were held at Kibuli Mosque to honour Ndirangwa and Kibuli did not send an official delegation to Lwengo. Kibuli’s silence was deafening, interpreted by many as a reflection of Ndirangwa’s unresolved feud with Nakibinge.
In Kirayangoma village, Lwengo district, the people who turned up mourned a cleric who had given his life to Islam.
In Kampala, at Kibuli mosque which Ndirangwa once led as a 30 year old, the atmosphere was quiet. This was a signal that old grievances had not been forgiven.
