By Mike Rwothomio

The leadership of the newly established Zombo Muslim District, carved out of the Nebbi Muslim District, was officially installed on Friday, May 15, 2026, at Warr Town Council, Ora County, Zombo District in the West Nile Subregion.

The historic occasion was marked by fervent calls for unity among the Muslim faithful, impactful religious leadership, and enhanced pursuit of both secular and Islamic education.

In a profound demonstration of togetherness within the Ummah, the installation ceremony drew distinguished guests, including a delegation from the Alur Kingdom led by Prime Minister Prince Lawrence Opar Angala, who represented His Majesty Ubimu Philip Rauni Ularker III. 

Religious leaders from various denominations, key stakeholders, and prominent Muslim figures from across the West Nile region attended as part of the inter-religious council of Uganda.

His Eminence Sheikh Ramadan Mubajje, the Mufti of Uganda, was represented by Sheikh Ssali Imran, Secretary for Religious Affairs at the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC). 

Sheikh Ssali Imran officially installed the new District Kadhi and addressed the congregation, stressing the virtues of peace, tolerance, and harmonious coexistence among leaders and the Muslim faithful.

Upon his installation as the new District Kadhi, Ustadh Kassim Abdullaziz Amin expressed gratitude for the generous support extended toward the event.

He affirmed the path of peaceful coexistence, declaring: “It is not a crime to co-exist with those who are not Muslims; there’s no way we shall throw each other apart.” He further emphasized the bonds of brotherhood: “We are from the same family, we are united. We do preach in the Christian gathering, they do say words in our gathering. We don’t have any fight, and that is the direction we are heading to.”

Zombo Muslim District was carved out of Nebbi Muslim District following an official announcement made late last year. 

His Majesty Ubimu Philip Rauni Ularker III was represented by Prince Lawrence Opar Angala, who pledged collaboration between cultural institutions and religious leaders to preach unity and peace in this border district. He also  called for joint efforts to sensitize the community on government programs.

Prince Opar Angala highlighted the Alur Kingdom’s longstanding contributions to the Islamic faith, including the donation of land for the establishment of a mosque in the area in 1950s and its central role in mediating among Muslim faithful during times of misunderstanding.

He urged the new Muslim district leadership to promote both secular education and religious education among the faithful, noting that Muslims are underrepresented in key professions such as doctors and engineers due to low levels of education. He encouraged the community to seize scholarship opportunities provided to the Alur Kingdom by various institutions.

The occasion was witnessed by prominent Muslim leaders from the West Nile region and heads of local Catholic, Protestant, and Pentecostal churches, reflecting the spirit of the national Inter-Religious Council at the new district headquarters in Warr Town Council.

In October last year, a joint session of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council approved the creation of 17 new Muslim districts nationwide to strengthen administration and improve service delivery within the Muslim community.

Alur Kingdom Prime Minister Prince Lawrence Opar Angala ( Right) greets Sheikh Ssali Imran, Secretary for Religious Affairs at the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) left after the function.

The new Zombo Muslim District Kadhi, Ustadh Kassim Abdullaziz Amin, pledged his unwavering commitment: “I only pledge my commitment to serve as per the oath that I took.”

Alur Kingdom Prime Minister Opar Angala commended the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council for establishing the new Zombo Muslim District, which he believes will bring services closer to the faithful. He acknowledged the rapid growth in the Muslim population both locally and globally, and rallied leaders to develop worthy mosques, prominent institutional schools, health facilities, and other key developmental projects.

Major General Dick Olum, Managing Director of Rolling star Ltd in Warr Town Council served as Chairperson of the Central Organizing Committee for the event and his contributions were warmly acknowledged. He  called upon the Muslim community of Warr and the entire Zombo District to unite behind the District Kadhi for the sake of development and progress.

Zombo RDC Festus Ayikobua, speaking at a recent Muslim function at Salama Mosque in Paidha Town Council, pledged that the district administration would work closely with the new Muslim leadership to promote unity, good governance, and improved livelihoods through sensitization on government socio-economic transformation programs.

The newly created Muslim districts in West Nile, formed primarily due to increased population, include Zombo (from Nebbi), Obongi (from Moyo), Terego and Madi-Okolo (from Arua), among others.

The Zombo Muslim District, one of the 17 newly created administrative units across Uganda, operates under the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council,  the mother body and governing authority of Muslims in Uganda. The Council unifies approximately 9,071,671 Muslims, representing 12.1% of the Ugandan population, supported by 7,290 mosques.

The Prime Minister (Jadipu) Prince Lawrence  Opar Angala, new District Kadhi Kassim Abdullaziz Amin ,  the Mufti's representative Sheikh Ssali Imran, Rwoth Uledhire Nester Odaga Jalomayo of Ayuveni chiefdom and other officials pose for a group photo with muslim leaders from the newly created Zombo Muslim District, West Nile Muslim Region and Officials from UMSC after the installation ceremony.

Mike Rwothomio is the News Editor at Zoomer Africa, your trusted grassroots information hub for African stories, voices, and updates.