The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has clarified that it has no plans to bar licensed Haj and Umrah companies from providing pilgrimage services to Muslims intending to perform Haj.

UMSC leadership reaffirmed its commitment to continued collaboration with licensed operators as the Council implements reforms aimed at improving the management of Haj affairs in Uganda.

The assurance was given by the Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, during a meeting held on Friday with representatives of 11 licensed Haj companies at the UMSC headquarters in Old Kampala. The meeting took place on January 23, 2026, shortly before the Mufti left for Bugiri District to attend the burial of elder Sheikh Ishaaq Yusuf Naminya.

Sheikh Mubaje emphasized that UMSC does not intend to block any duly licensed companies from serving pilgrims.

“The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council has no intention of stopping licensed Haj companies from offering services to Muslims who wish to fulfill the fifth pillar of Islam,” the Mufti said.

He explained that when he assumed office in 2000, the practice was for Haj companies to submit consolidated lists of intending pilgrims to UMSC, which would then forward them to Saudi authorities for visa processing. This arrangement, he noted, followed Saudi Arabia’s protocol requiring Haj affairs to be handled by officially recognized Muslim institutions, a role played by UMSC in Uganda.

The Mufti acknowledged that Haj services gradually became a commercial activity for operators, but said UMSC initially refrained from interfering, instead focusing on coordination to ensure pilgrims were properly facilitated.

“I did not interfere but advised the UMSC Haj office to ensure the Haj was well coordinated,” he said.

However, Sheikh Mubaje noted that the situation changed when Haj companies formed a federation and a private body—the Uganda Bureau of Haj Affairs (UBHA)—emerged, claiming authority over Haj management without any formal written mandate from UMSC.

He said this development was followed by complaints from pilgrims, including allegations of fraud, misuse of visas, and other irregular practices.

“The Haj had, in short, been turned into an illegal business venture, stripping it of its religious sanctity and benefiting only a few individuals,” the Mufti said.

According to Sheikh Mubaje, an internal investigation by UMSC revealed cases of mismanagement, corruption, and theft. The Council subsequently engaged the government, which dismissed UBHA’s claims of operating under UMSC authority.

The Mufti called on all licensed Haj companies to work closely with UMSC as it assumes direct oversight of Haj management.

“Our objective is to streamline costs and make it possible for more Ugandan Muslims to perform Haj smoothly and without unnecessary obstacles,” he said.