Hajjat Mariam Namayanja, one of the coordinators of the Presidential Hajj program has clarified that some pilgrims who were selected to be sponsored by President Yoweri Museveni, may miss out on this year’s offer due to conflicts between the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) and the Uganda Bureau of Hajj Affairs led by Sheikh Zakaliya Kyewalyanga.
According to Hajjat Namayanja, also the Special Presidential Assistant in charge of monitoring the Parish Development Model (PDM), last year, President Museveni sponsored some pilgrims but most of them did not go for the holy pilgrimage because of the failure by some stakeholders to submit their visas.
“After failing to secure visas for the pilgrims, these stakeholders also failed to refund the money back to the State House,” she said.
“The conflicts between UMSC and the Bureau are under investigation by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit following a complaint filed by the Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadan Mubajje. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also aware. The State House is not part of it.”
Hajjat Namayanja further revealed that this year, State House used three organisations to take the pilgrims to Mecca; Anwaary, Tawakal and UMSC and its only UMSC which has issues.
“Those who traveled through Anwaary and Tawakal are already in Saudi Arabia because they submitted the visas of the pilgrims in time,” she said.
“For UMSC, out of the 60 beneficiaries, they only submitted 17 visas to State House, that’s the number we have paid for. We cannot pay for people without visas because last year the State House counted losses. If they have evidence that they submitted the visas to the State House, they should present it.”
Hajjat Namayanja’s clarification follows claims by UMSC that their efforts to take President Museveni-sponsored pilgrims for Hajj are being frustrated by some officials at State House.
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