Late Al Hajji Sulaiman Mutumba was born in 1945 at Namirembe Hospital. Sulaiman Mutumba belonged to the kobe clan. His father was Al-Hajji Ramadhan Sebuliba from Kikajjo in Busiro County (Wakiso district). His mother was Janat Natooro of “Ente” (cow) clan. She was a daughter to late Kayizi of Masaka, father to Lady Drucila Namaganda Nabagereka (who was wife to Sekabaka Sir Daudi Chwa).

Lady Drucila Namaganda Nabagereka was the mother to Sir Edward Mutesa II. Sulaiman Mutumba was therefore a cousin brother to Sir Edward Mutesa II. His grandfather was Omujungute (religious wars Muslim veteran) Asumani Male Bamulanze Ttama and his grandmother was Zuhura Nakate of Enjovu (Elephant) clan.

He went to Namagoma Muslim P/S and later Aggrey P/S for his primary education. While in Namagoma, he got his Islamic education from Sheikh Masudi Katabula, a prominent Sheikh of Juma and Zukuli group in Uganda based at Kawempe Kyadondo. He then joined Kololo SSS and later Ndejje SSS for his O and A levels secondary education. He then joined Makerere University College from where he graduated with Bachelor of Art political science.

During the invasion of Mengo Palace by forces royal to Obote in 1966, Sulaiman Mutumba got his short gun – double barrel and joined the fight in defense of King Edward Mutesa II. Although the palace fell to Obote’s forces and the King went into exile, he was proud to have fought in defense of his King and his cousin brother.

Sulaiman Mutumba loved his king very much and was always yearning for a federal government until his death. He was very enterprising when it came to business and this later made him a very prominent business man. In 1975, he was the first Ugandan Muslim to start a fully registered company called Ivory Dealers Uganda Limited, dealing in Ivory Tusks. He was among the first Black Muslim to rent an Executive office on the then most expensive building in Kampala which was called IPS building owned by the Aghakhan establishments.

In the late 1973s, he was the first Muslim to buy land at Mutundwe and constructed a magnificent home. Mutumdwe was then a preserve for prominent non-Muslims who included former President Godfrey Lukongwa Binaisa and a prominent businessman called Y. Walusimbi Mpanga. Walusimbi Mpanga was the mayor of Kampala during Amin’s time. In 1974, he hired a plane and over 20 vehicles when he was going to Kisangani – Zaire (DRC) to marry his wife Zamrad Mutumba. He held a colorful reception at his home in Mutundwe and hired Grand Hotel for all services. Among those who accompanied him to Kisangani (apart from his relatives) were Shk. Umar Dumba and Shk. Abdukadir Mbogo who with their counterparts in Zaire performed Nikah. The organizers of the wedding included the late Eng.Yunus Mpagi, Juma Yusuf Walusimbi (now in Tropical Bank), T.S. Mukasa (now in Uganda Manufacturers Association), Badru Bunkeddeko (the former deputy Kaggo of Buganda) among others. Around 1979, his office at IPS building was vandalized following the collapse of Amin’s government. He decided to leave Ivory business and established a modern farm called Ntuuti farmers in Buruli (Nakasongola district).

He later shifted the farm to Kakiri where he bought 600 acres of land from which he donated 40 acres to Bilal Islamic Institute. His widow is still staying at Kakiri. In 1980, he and the late Mufti of Uganda Shk. Kassim Mulumba founded the Quran society of Uganda and he was the pioneer chairman of the society. In 1980-81, he was one of the delegates elected by Sheikh Kassim Mulumba’s side to take part in the amending of the 1972 UMSC constitution under the chairmanship of Gasamallah Mubarak Zaid. In 1986, he was one of the signatories of the Makka Agreement which culminated into the current UMSC constitution which was adopted and promulgated in 1987. Others being: Maulana Abdul Razak Matovu, Shk. Kassim Mulumba, Shk. Abdu Obeid Kamulegeya, Shk. Zubair Kayongo, Al Haji Juma Yusuf Walusimbi, Shk. Anas Abdunoor Kaliisa and Al Haji Isa Khalifa Lukwago. These were representatives of the two groups of from Uganda i.e. one group for the late Shk. Kassim Mulumba and another group for Shk. Obeid Kamulegeya respectively.

The late Kassim Mulumba was claiming to be the Mufti of Uganda based at Lubaga Road Mosque (Kabalaza) and Shk. Abdu Obeid Kamulegeya was also claiming to be the substantive Mufti of Uganda based at Old Kampala – UMSC Headquarters. The mediation in this exercise was initiated and sponsored by the World Muslim League officials headquartered in Makka. On the side of the WML, the signatories were; Mohammad M. Omar Jamjoom, Ahmed Bahafzallah, Ameed Aqeel, Abdul Hamid Qutub and Katem Hassan Qadi. The witness to the agreement was Asumani Mbubi from Uganda. Al Haji Sulaiman Mutumba was one of those who fought very hard to see that UMSC is led by a learned and capable leader/Sheikh with required qualifications in Islam and possibly secular. He further made sure that there must be constitutionalism at UMSC (system). In 1993, Al Haji Sulaiman Mutumba donated 10 acres of land at Kakiri where Bilal Islamic Institute was built after shifting from the current Kiseka market place where it used to be and later on he added on 30 acres of land on which the Bilal Islamic Institute is currently situated. In 1981, he served as the Chairman of UMSC Hijja Committee then based at Wandegeya. During his service, he used to top up Hijja expenses for those Muslims who were unable to raise all the money for Hajj. Sheikh Umar Dumba can bear testimony to this. Haji Sulaiman Mutumba had twelve children – seven boys and five girls. Four of these are already graduates in different fields. Four are in Islamic University in Uganda and four in lower classes.

He died 1st May 1993 Inna lillaahi Wainna Ilaihi Rajiuna. Haji Sulaiman Mutumba loved his King, Haji Mutumba loved his religion, and he loved and respected his religious leaders. Mutumba was loyal to his religious leaders. He was a down to earth Muslim, very hardworking and a progressive entrepreneur. Basing on the Holy Quran Surat Al-Anfal in which Allah says: “Who establish regular prayers and spend (freely) out of the gifts we have given them for sustenance. Such in truth are the believers: they have grades of dignity with their lord and forgiveness, and generous sustenance” (Quran 8:3-4) Haji Sulaiman Mutumba was a true believer. May Allah the Almighty reward him. Apart from what I have managed to pen down on this paper, Haji Sulaiman Mutumba made many contributions to Islam, but mostly the 40 acres of land at Kakiri donated to Muslim of Uganda and the world at large qualifies him to be a Muslim hero though unsung. The writer is the young brother to the unsung hero and the Public Relations Officer – Uganda Muslim Supreme Council

By Hajji Nsereko Mutumba, Spokesman Uganda Muslim Supreme Council