By Ashraf Zziwa
He was born to a traditional Gganda family in Busiro County in the then Buganda Kingdom probably in 1879 and died in 1973. Sheikh Swaibu Ssemakula grew up at the time when British colonialism was taking shape that fueled the rapid spread of Christianity to his home area leading his family to convert to the Native Anglican Church.
It was definitely from the Church that the young Ssemakula learned how to read and write and went on to become a lay reader of the scripture during the worship service. Like any other youth, Ssemakula grew with a burning ambition for a better life that saw him leaving his home area and relocating to the British Colonial administration Capital of Kampala which was a trading hub between the natives and foreigners including Indians, Arabs, Swahilis.
It was not long when he came in contact with long distant Swahili merchants who were involved in the transportation and sale of goods within the Eastern African territories. His energetic and physique personality caught the Merchants’ attention.
They inquired whether they would hire him for a fee as a porter, a request he readily accepted. Ssemakula started moving with the traders to the then Kenyan Colony where he stayed in the early 1900s. This became the turning point for Ssemakula.
The care he received from his masters touched his inner soul leading to his reversion to Islam, the religion professed by his employers. They chose for him the name Swaibu. With his burning quest to learn the tenets of his new faith, Swaib Ssemakula embarked on a long journey to various places throughout East Africa purposely to study Islam.
The Almighty Allah saw him through as he was able to meet prominent Islamic Theologians of the time comprising Arabs, Swahilis, and Somalis who incorporated him in their Learning Centres. By the end of the 1930s, Ssemakula was not only fluent in Arabic and Swahili languages but had learnt Islamic theology in depth.
On his return to his native Country Uganda, then British Protectorate, Ssemakula was an unmatched Muslim Cleric whom his theological teachers had already conferred upon the title of “Sheikh” which made Swaib Ssemakula the first Ugandan Muslim native to obtain the title in his era.
Sheikh Ssemakula began the historical mission of establishing Islamic learning Centres (Madrassas) for young Muslim Children in various areas and as time went on he opened an Islamic higher learning Centre equivalent to a Seminary – Mahdi Aswidiiq Al Islamia at Katuumu presently in Luwero District. Sheikh Ssemakula aimed at training Muslim Clerics who would serve and meet the spiritual needs of the Muslim Community.
Amazingly, Sheikh Ssemakula’s vision bore fruits as it was later to become the foundation on, which teaching of Islamic theology, training, grading Muslim Clerics leading to the establishment of Muslim Leadership positions i.e. Mosque Imams, County Sheikhs, District Kadhis to the rank of the Mufti.
It was Sheikh Ssemakula who designed the grand ceremony for trained Muslim clerics and made them wear long robes comprising a turban and cloaks. Such attires were for the identification of the Muslim clerics in the Communities. Sheikh Swaibu Ssemakula’s vibrant activities reached their peak when the late Prince Badru Kakungulu was recognized as the National Muslim leader by both the Colonial Gov’t and Buganda Kingdom authorities.
So, Prince Kakungulu appointed him to serve as one of the County Sheikhs. By the mid-1940s, Sheikh Ssemakula was one of the Prince’s leading advisors on Muslim affairs.
At the same time, Sheikh Ssemakula had already registered the first Muslim-based native Organisation Jamat Al Islami with its headquarters in Kawempe.
By the beginning of the 1960s, Uganda went through political, economical, and social changes as it approached its independence so was the Muslim Community. In 1965, a group of vibrant Muslims led to the establishment of the National Association for the Advancement of Muslims in Uganda- NAAM.
This Organisation officially ended the leadership of Al-Haj Prince Badru Kakungulu that began in 1921. In 1967, during its delegates conference held at Bugembe near Jinja, the Members of NAAM unanimously elected Sheikh Swaib Ssemakula as the Mufti of Uganda. He became the first Native Muslim theologian to become the Mufti of Uganda.
To continue.
The writer is the spokesperson of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council
