Hawzah News Agency- the ceremony was held on Friday, October 2, 2026 in the town of Warr, located in Zombo District near Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The event was attended by Sheikh Dr. Hafiz Muhammad Haruna Bukenya, the Second Deputy Mufti; Wakil Hajj Muhammad Ali Aluma, Deputy Secretary-General of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) for Finance and Administration; Sheikh Imran Sali, Secretary for Religious Affairs; and Sheikh Abdul Karim Abdullah Katamba, Head of the UMSC Halal Department and Regional Assistant to the Mufti for the Ankole-Kigezi region.
The delegation, on the Mufti’s first visit to Warr, was warmly received on Thursday evening by a large gathering of Muslims and followers of other faiths. Among those welcoming the delegation were Sheikh Mahdi Mahmoud Rihan, Regional Assistant to the Mufti for the West Nile region; Sheikh Abdulaziz Qasim Al-Kouri, the district’s Sharia judge and host of the delegation; General Dick Olum, a senior army officer; and several other government officials.
Mufti Inaugurates Zombo Islamic Region
On Friday, hundreds of Muslims, including school students, accompanied the Mufti and his delegation on a tour of facilities affiliated with the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council in the region. These included the Warr Level II Islamic Health Center, Warr Islamic Primary School, and Dar al-Habib Islamic Nursery and School.
The delegation also visited a historic building that once served as the residence and shop of Sheikh Sharif Saeed, a Muslim scholar from Mombasa, Kenya. Sheikh Sharif Saeed is recognized as one of the first Muslims to settle in the area and played a key role in spreading Islam, which has since grown and established a large Muslim community in the region.
The Mufti later joined hundreds of Muslims and other guests gathered under tents erected in the courtyard of the Grand Mosque for the official inauguration ceremony.
New Administrative Identity Announced
Wakil Haddad Salim, the UMSC Independent Electoral Commissioner for the West Nile region, announced the formal establishment of the Zombo Islamic Region and the appointment of its first Sharia judge. He stated that the administrative changes were made in accordance with the constitution of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council.
“We have attained an administrative identity that we have long awaited. Therefore, we must now build an institution worthy of this identity,” he said. Sheikh Abdulaziz called for support and cooperation to strengthen the newly established Zombo Islamic Region.
Sheikh Mahdi Mahmoud Rihan presented a report on the situation of Muslims in the West Nile region, while Wakil Aluma provided an update on developments and progress at the UMSC headquarters.
Mufti Praises Hospitality, Interfaith Coexistence
Speaking in Swahili, the Mufti of Uganda thanked Muslims and other residents of Zombo for their warm reception and hospitality. He also highlighted the challenges the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council faced before he assumed office and discussed efforts to strengthen the institution and restore its standing.
The Mufti further expressed appreciation to the government, local leaders, and the people of Zombo for supporting cooperation among followers of different religions and their joint efforts to promote peaceful coexistence.
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