BACKGROUND

The Uganda Muslim Education Association (UMEA) is a fully registered Muslim Educational Secretariat serving all Muslims in Uganda and has been in operation since 1936 when it was established by the late Prince Al-Hajji Badru Kakungulu Wasajja. Like the catholic and protestant educational secretariat do take care of the education of their communities, the major aim of UMEA is to provide a platform for Muslims in the country to attain reasonable standard of education in both secular and religious studies to enable them compete favorably with all Ugandans of other religious affiliations. This task was competently carried out by UMEA up to date when the Government of the time decided to demission arise the administration of the educational institutional secretariats to continue with the role for foundation bodies.

The Uganda Muslim Education Association revived its active role of participation in supplementing Government efforts in providing education to its citizens in 1995 by way of mobilizing all Muslims in the whole country to uplift the academic standard and the general picture of Muslim education through their schools.Prince Badru Kakungulu (5th from left) and others at a UMEA function

Statistically there are over 1500 Muslim founded primary schools, over 160 Muslim secondary schools, 5 technical institutions, 2 primary Muslim teacher training colleges and 2 universities. Nearly in all cases of these figures above represent 10% of the national general picture.

However it is important to note that by 1964 Muslim grant aided primary schools constituted only 7.4% of all primary schools in the country as compared to 47.3% catholic primary schools in the country and 40% for the church of Uganda primary school. This position is clearly illustrated in the following table:

PRIMARY SCHOOL OWNERSHIP IN UGANDA.

Nearly all Muslim Primary schools have suffered from, the shortage of well trained teachers, a situation which is just beginning to change now but would still need a lot of effort to streamline, After 1964(UMEA's) activities came to a standstill due to lack of financial means of sustaining a skeleton staff at its Headquarters to manage and provide leadership role in Muslim education just as other religious groups continued to do.

Prince Kassim Nakibinge Kakungulu

The revival of active participation in education UMEA was championed by the Young Men Muslim Association under the leadership of Prince Kassim Nakibinge Kakungulu, the patron of the association together with its active president the late Dr. Suleiman Kiggundu in June, 1995 at Kibuli Muslim Teacher College. The Uganda Muslim Education Association office is the secretariat of education for the Uganda Muslim founded schools at all levels. It is headed the Secretary General assisted by two deputies and several assistants and other personnel appointed by UMEA Executive Board Members as they may consider necessary. (see the Administrative Structure). The incumbent Secretary General of Uganda Muslims Education Association is Brother Abubakar S. Kakembo, former Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education and Sports, Uganda Government. He is being assisted by two former senior education officers in the Ministry of Education and Sports, Central Government, Brother Hussein H. Mabuya and Brother Ahmed Nyenje. Email