The First Deputy Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa, announced that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged to donate tractors to each of the ten Muslim regions in Uganda.
This support is part of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council’s (UMSC) socio-economic transformation program, aimed at promoting self-sustainability in the country’s Muslim communities.
Sheikh Ali made the announcement during a media briefing at the UMSC headquarters in Old Kampala on Thursday, March 27, 2025. He explained that the President had made this pledge on March 25, 2025, during the annual State Iftar dinner at State House, Entebbe.
The pledge followed a request from Sheikh Abubakar Umar Obilan, the North Eastern Regional Assistant to the Mufti who had asked President Museveni to support UMSC’s initiative, which seeks to foster economic independence across Uganda’s ten Muslim regions: Ankole, Bunyoro-Tooro, Kampala, East Buganda, West Buganda, Eastern, Northern, North Eastern, West Nile, and Busoga.
In 2024, UMSC launched a Shillings 700 million program using internally generated funds to kick-start this transformation. Sheikh Ali explained that the initiative is already underway in North Eastern Uganda, where they are managing a project with over 200 sheep.
However, they believe that the addition of tractors would significantly enhance the program’s effectiveness and align it with the government’s economic empowerment goals.
Sheikh Ali also mentioned that UMSC had requested vehicles to support the mobilization and monitoring of these projects. Due to the vast distances involved in overseeing the activities, he emphasized the need for reliable transport to ensure the success of the program.
In response to the request, President Museveni expressed his support and pledged to donate one tractor to each of the ten Muslim regions, as well as provide a vehicle to help monitor the progress of the projects. The President personally assured Sheikh Ali and UMSC that these resources would be made available in the next financial year.
He said during the discussion, President Museveni commended UMSC for its efforts in promoting socio-economic development. He noted that he was pleased to see the government’s vision aligning with UMSC’s efforts, saying, “I am beginning to see that our thinking is going together as a country.”
He shared the President’s emphasis on the importance of generating wealth alongside spiritual well-being. He pointed to the government’s Parish Development Model, which provides Shillings 100 million to each parish to directly benefit Ugandans. “That is your money; it will stay in the parishes to help Ugandans improve their livelihood. The government doesn’t need it,” he explained.
Additionally, he clarified President Museveni’s five percent top-up on funds, stating that it was not intended as interest, but as a measure to preserve the value of the money. “The goods you buy for one million Shillings today will cost you more next year because the value of money keeps depreciating,” he said.
Sheikh Ali expressed deep appreciation for President Museveni’s continued support for Muslim initiatives and pledged UMSC’s full cooperation in implementing government programs, including the Parish Development Model.
He emphasized UMSC’s commitment to working closely with the government to improve the socio-economic well-being of Uganda’s Muslim communities.
