Vice President Jessica Alupo has urged Muslims to continue their divine practices even after the holy month of Ramadan.
“I want to encourage you to ensure that these divine practices don’t cease after this month but persist throughout the year,” she stated while addressing Muslims after the first Annual Iftar dinner hosted by the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council-UMSC at its headquarters on Thursday evening.
She emphasized that during the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims exhibit good character and compassion, qualities that should be perpetuated.
Alupo also commended the Muslim community for establishing health and educational institutions across the country, complementing government efforts.
“The government will continue to provide you with all the necessary resources and support for these endeavors,” she assured amidst chants of “Allah is the greatest” from the guests.
“I also want to express appreciation to different Muslim groups, such as the Turkish community, which has contributed to sinking boreholes and providing relief support to Uganda, especially in Katakwi,” she added. Alupo thanked the Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, for inviting her to preside over the iftar dinner and handed over Shillings 20 million towards the event.
Earlier, Sheikh Mubaje appealed to the donor community and development partners to support UMSC programs. “UMSC is well represented through its structures. Following the Constitutional review exercise financed by the government, we held elections from the grassroots to the top, bringing in capable individuals who can drive development. We urge the donor community and development partners to support our programs,” he stated.
He also urged the government to support the induction of 600 Muslim leaders nationwide into government programs. Sheikh Mubaje noted that UMSC had undergone significant changes over the last 20 years. “This hill was once a bush hosting idlers and people with nowhere to go. However, it has now been transformed entirely. I even prefer to call it ‘New Kampala’ rather than ‘Old Kampala’. We have come a long way and pledge to continue rolling out more developments,” he declared.
The dinner attracted over 600 guests, including government officials, members of parliament, businesspeople, and diplomats.