The Uganda Muslim Lawyers’ Association (UMLAS) has questioned the circumstances surrounding the release and circulation of a video in which one of the convicts in the Susan Magara murder case allegedly links the crimes to Islamic teachings. UMLAS says the video was released and circulated on social media after the High Court had delivered its judgment in the case, despite the convicts having undergone due process before the court.
In a statement signed by UMLAS President Ssemambo Rashid, the association condemned the manner in which the recording was released after the judgment. “We wish to express our displeasure and condemn in the strongest terms the manner in which such a video recording was released post-judgement, and circulated on social media platforms, yet the convicts had undergone due process before a court of law,” Ssemambo said.
The High Court on August 3, 2026, convicted nine people in the Susan Magara case of kidnapping to procure a ransom and murder. The video subsequently circulated on platforms including X, TikTok and WhatsApp, with one of the convicts, Hajara Nakandi, appearing to confess while alleging that the crimes were motivated by teachings of the Quran.
She claimed that the holy quran allows kidnapping people for ransom and killing them once the ransom isn’t paid on time. UMLAS, however, rejected the claims, saying the statements made in the recording do not represent Islamic teachings. “The convicts’ statements in the video recording are not founded in Islamic teachings nor are they to be found anywhere in the Holy Quran,” Ssemambo said.
The association said the video risks creating a false impression that Islam condones murder and kidnapping for ransom, which it warned could perpetuate Islamophobia. UMLAS has called on security agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the recording and its release.
“We appeal to all the security agencies in Uganda to conduct a comprehensive investigation into this occurrence to understand its objectives and the agenda it seeks to promote,” Ssemambo said.
The position by UMLAS comes amid similar condemnation from other Muslim leaders, including Mufti Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, Deputy Mufti, Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa, Deputy Director of Sharia, Sheikh Ssalim Bbosa and Uganda Muslim Supreme Council National Chairperson Prof. Muhammad Lubega.
The Muslim leaders have rejected attempts to associate the alleged acts of the convicts with Islam, stressing that murder and kidnapping are not sanctioned by Islamic teachings. The association also warned that leaving what it described as false and dangerous narratives unchecked could fuel hatred and threaten peaceful coexistence among Ugandans of different faiths-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
