Yesterday, the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, urged Muslims to utilize this year’s Ramadan period as an opportunity to resolve any lingering disputes, which she cautioned could further divide the community.
During an Iftar dinner hosted for the Muslim community at Parliament, Speaker Among, represented by Hon. Minsa Kabanda, emphasized the importance of unity among Muslims in Uganda, highlighting its resilience against external pressures.
Expressing concern over alleged targeted arrests and killings of Muslim leaders, the Speaker called for security forces to uphold professionalism and adhere to due process.
Minister Kabanda echoed the Muslim community’s gratitude towards Parliament and the President for enacting legislation enabling Islamic banking and finance in Uganda. She stressed the necessity of educational initiatives to promote understanding of Islamic banking.
Despite legislation passed in 2023 facilitating Islamic banking, Dr. Lujja Sulaiman lamented that only one credit institution has been licensed by the Bank of Uganda, overlooking applications from numerous commercial banks. He urged Parliament to intervene and facilitate the licensing of tier one commercial banks, equipped and ready to implement Islamic banking.
Dr. Lujja criticized BoU’s refusal to license more banks, citing the absence of established Sharia Advisory Boards as a misguided rationale. He appealed for Parliament’s support in addressing these challenges.
